New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, on Saturday legalized natural organic reduction, popularly known as human composting or terramation, after death.

The legislative move makes the state the sixth to do so since 2019 and gives New Yorkers access to an alternative, green method of burial deemed environmentally friendly.

But the departed may not be simply tossed on the compost heap: remains must be delivered to a cemetery corporation certified as an organic reduction facility, suitably contained and ventilated, and not containing “a battery, battery pack, power cell, radioactive implant, or radioactive device”.

Washington became the first state to legalize human composting in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021, then Vermont and California later in 2022. New York’s legislation, A382, passed both assemblies over the summer.

In most cases, the deceased is placed into a reusable, semi-open vessel containing suitable bedding – wood chips, alfalfa or straw – ideal for microbes to go about their work. At the end of the process, a heaped cubic yard of nutrient-dense soil, equivalent to 36 bags of soil is produced that can then be used as fertilizer.

“Every single thing we can do to turn people away from concrete liners and fancy caskets and embalming, we ought to do and be supportive of,” said Michelle Menter, manager at Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in central New York. Menter said her business would strongly consider the method.

Hochul had found herself in a political dilemma over the issue. She has said that she is a proud Irish-American and has often spoken of how her Irish, Catholic roots influenced her political outlook.

The New York State Catholic Conference had encouraged church followers to pressure Hochul to veto the bill. The organization argued that the process “does not provide the respect due to bodily remains”, according to the Catholic Courier.

“A process that is perfectly appropriate for returning vegetable trimmings to the earth is not necessarily appropriate for human bodies,” Dennis Poust, executive director of the organization, said in a statement.

On the flip side, the art collective Order of the Good Death urged the governor to commit her signature, and offered a series of decorative, colored cards reading “Compost Me” and “I Want to Be a Tree” to send on to the governor.

Others argued that people want a method of disposition in keeping with how they lived their lives. “Cremation uses fossil fuels and burial uses a lot of land and has a carbon footprint,” said Katrina Spade, the founder of Recompose, a green funeral home in Seattle that offers human composting.

“For a lot of folks being turned into soil that can be turned to grow into a garden or tree is pretty impactful,” Spade told the Associated Press. Other pioneers of natural organic reduction offer not only human composting services, green burials and water cremation (AKA aquamation).

Proponents of terramation says the process is economical as well as environmental, with the body transforming in six to eight weeks.
BTW I am not a fan but found the story interesting

LINK: https://www.theguardian.com/us...mposting-after-death

Soylent green is people.

I had plans on hitting a high ramp at 150 MPH, in a hemi Charger, over the Grand Canyon, loaded with 2,000 pounds of fire works, on my last day. At least someone could say they saw me leave.

My understanding is that at least some of these state laws forbid the use of composted human remains to be used to fertilize plants or trees that produce food... although I'm not sure how that provision would actually be enforced.

As long as the other traditional means of respectfully consecrating human remains are legally allowed to continue, I don't have a problem with terramation being an option...but I can't help wondering, considering the authoritarian bias of the state governments that have so far legalized it, if this is just the camel's nose under the tent.

As with so many state laws, this is just the latest trend of states keeping up with the Joneses. Taxes, reduction in criminal law penalties, so-called social justice reforms, minimum wages, employment law, legalization of drugs, gun control laws...everybodies gotta rush right out and pass a law before any meaningful debate takes place, or even waiting to see the impacts of a similar law enacted in a different state. Very trendy and tribal... follow the herd.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe there is one municipality in Colorado that allows its residents the option of a funeral pyre.

So New York politicians have no respect for human life...or death. No surprise here.

Oh thank gawd! Of all the tough issues facing our state, this was at the top! I'd like to compost her wretched liberal dictator face....thing could make a train take a dirt road...

Amazing. Governor Hochul is worried about the carbon footprint caused by human remains. Yet doesn't give a damn about the tons of e-waste going into landfills because manufactures don't want to allow economical repair of their electronic devices.

quote:

Originally posted by chbibc:
Oh thank gawd! Of all the tough issues facing our state, this was at the top! I'd like to compost her wretched liberal dictator face....thing could make a train take a dirt road...

Now that wasn't nice....but it was 100% on the money, can't stand to see the bitch.

I know "natural organic reduction" (now there's a euphemism) offends many people's sensibilities. But I always kind of liked Star Trek's Klingons' approach to the disposition of a body after death.

When I'm gone, my body might as well go back into the environment. If they could just grind it up and drop it in the ocean, or plant it 6 feet down without any coffin I'd be happy.

I'm with Fly-Sig on this one. After I'm dead, why should I care about the vessel that carried me lo these many years? Your body is not who you are.

I'd rather not see a bunch of money wasted on a box for me.

With all the food shortage, it would be better if they make Soylent Green.

Soylent Green is people!

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
I'd rather not see a bunch of money wasted on a box for me.

My brother-in-law requested a simple pine box. That's what he got. 2x2s and 3/4" plywood with the ranch's brand burned into the top.

I guess this is where a wood chipper would come in handy.

If only there were people in New York that knew how to get rid of bodies in a manner that they couldn’t be found.

what is the actual practical difference between actively doing it via composting and passively doing it via burial? Me I'm into a pyre but I understand that adds to my carbon footprint, but so be it. I like a good fire.

The whole world is a graveyard, a toilet, and a urinal.

It seems like a graveyard is a terrible waste of space.

I always thought a forest would make far more sense.

Timber it from time to time, save the lumber to use to make coffins/give it to the family.

I understand crematoria have a maximum weight for the deceased. It’s due partly the mechanical systems, partly to the required quantity of propane and the duration of the cremation.

Before I die I’m eating right up to that weight so my final carbon footprint is as big as I can manage.

Take that, climate fanatics.