Natural Funeral Monitor

Hands on funeral for homeless man | The Good Funeral Guide

NBC — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 11:02:22 PST

Undertaker Rupert Callender in Totnes is appealing to his fellow townspeople to turn out to help carry the coffin of a homeless man, Michael Gething, through the streets to his funeral — and then on to the burying ground at...

The CSI behind exhuming Arafat: Tissue, hair and soil - Vitals

NBC — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:49:36 PST

Investigators who exhumed the body of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday will be testing samples of tissue, possibly bone, and hair, a forensic specialist says. But they’ll be up against the clock in trying to detect the radioactive...

New rules to allow natural burials in Dunedin | Otago Daily Times Online News Keep Up to Date Local, National New Zealand & International News

NBC — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:23:05 PST

Natural burials could one day become Dunedin's only method of interment, and the rules for the city's cemeteries are to be rewritten to allow them, a Dunedin City Council staff member says. via www.odt.co.nz And, in the meantime, the council...

Judge sanctions Eden Memorial owner over evidence tampering | Community | Jewish Journal

NBC — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:04:51 PST

[...As cemeteries lose income during the rush to cremation, more and more of them will cut corners in order to maximize revenues (and eventually minimize losses). The cemetery-side of the story is that the costs of upkeep outweigh the money...

LA County coroner sells own line of merchandise - Washington Times

NBC — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:17:21 PST

LA County coroner sells own line of merchandise - Washington Times. By Christina Hoag-Associated Press LOS ANGELES | The morgue is about the last place you would think of to go shopping, so it's perhaps unsurprising that sales at Los...

Oregon's voices in the green-burial movement see increase in interest | OregonLive.com

NBC — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:19:08 PDT

Oregon's voices in the green-burial movement see increase in interest | OregonLive.com. Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 3:00 PM by Laurie Robinson, The Oregonian The voices for a green grave are sprouting all over. The Shroud Lady in Southeast Portland....

Green: It’s the New Black

NBC — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:37:52 PDT

From Portland Monthly Magazine Green up your final act by embracing your own biodegradability By Zach Dundas Photo: Kurt Hettle You drove a Prius and bought carbon offsets. Whenever you could, you biked to work. You schlepped cloth bags to...

NYT - Into the Great Green Beyond

NBC — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:18:00 PDT

June 30, 2010, 8:31 am - NEW YORK TIMES Into the Great Green Beyond By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF At the end of an eco-conscious life, there is a final choice a person can make to limit his or her impact...

Bonner Springs High School students build, donate infant caskets - KansasCity.com

NBC — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:01:25 PDT

The erratic buzz of saws reverberates through the Bonner Springs High School wood shop weeks after school let out. via www.kansascity.com The smell and taste of fine pine dust lingers in the air. And teacher Kris Munsch can’t help but...

America's first National Pagan Burial Ground

NBC — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:05:58 PDT

Circle Cemetery America’s First National Pagan Burial Ground Preserving Nature & Greening the End of Life (608) 924-2216 * circle@circlesanctuary.org Circle Cemetery is located at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, just north of Barneveld, Wisconsin, about 25 miles west of Madison...

Ashland, Oregon changes Municipal Code to allow natural burial

NBC — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:06:00 PDT

GROUNDED IN NATURE City OKs 'green' burialsCouncil changes municipal code in order to accommodate growing demand for services By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily TidingsPosted: 2:00 AM May 24, 2010 Residents who want to bury loved ones in an environmentally sensitive...

Metro Times - News Views: Grave debate

NBC — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:45:39 PDT

Metro Times - News Views: Grave debate. As octogenarians, Ann Arbor residents Jean and John King are, not surprisingly, giving some thought to what will be done with their remains after they pass. But, because they live in Michigan, their...

Sales of the death men | Kansan.com

NBC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:58:17 PDT

By Kevin Hardy Thursday, April 22, 2010 [a very good feature article on the funeral business in Kansas...AFM ed.] Sales of the death men | Kansan.com. Todd Miller slowly positions the head of the body between plastic blocks as Curtis...

"Cancer's taking his life, not his sense of humor" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

NBC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:28:56 PDT

News: Local | "Cancer's taking his life, not his sense of humor" | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon. By Tim Christie The Register-Guard Appeared in print: Saturday,Apr 17, 2010 Cancer sucks. Life is good. Choose joy. Those are words Aaron...

Minnesota Senate bill 2903 empowers individual's at end of life

NBC — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:47:37 PDT

[Licensed funeral directors have failed to respond rapidly enough to changing American values. refusing to supply the public with affordable environmental options. Recognizing the government needs to get out of the way of a citizen-driven market (rather than protect an...

When the bereaved must battle bureaucracy - UK Telegraph

NBC — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:32:13 PDT

[Our funeral colleagues in the UK continue to delight me with their sensitivity, insight, and intelligence. I picked this up off Charles Cowling's "Good Funeral Guide" blog -- AFM ed] When the bereaved must battle bureaucracy - Telegraph. By George...

Summerland Natural Cemetery gets its Day in Court

NBC — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:20:50 PDT

"Green" cemetery backers sue Bibb - Local & State - Macon.com. [We've followed the Summerland story at the AFM. The owners were unfairly discriminated against and we're glad to see they're taking Bibb County to task- Ed] The backers of...

The Perils of Plastic - Environmental Toxins - TIME

NBC — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:07:28 PDT

[This excellent article by Bryan Walsh in the April 1 2010 edition of TIME Magazine contains important information the public needs to help it assess the threat of chemicals in the environment. One of the challenges facing supporters of less...

First Green Jewish Cemetery Opens

NBC — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:42:58 PDT

First Green Jewish cemetery opens | JTA - Jewish & Israel News. SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) -- The first Green Jewish cemetery in the United States was dedicated. Gan Yarok, Hebrew for "green garden" is a Jewish section of the Forever...

"Green Cemetery" Still Has Some Residents Concerned

NBC — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:27:01 PDT

"Green Cemetery" Still Has Some Residents Concerned. It might be as organic as it gets, and one funeral home in Rockingham County [Virginia] has the OK to do it. On Wednesday night, the county board of supervisors approved Kyger Funeral...

Casket Makers Dig In as Sales Take Hit - WSJ.com

NBC — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:30:51 PDT

By Dana Mattioli - via online.wsj.com As their sales slow, some casket makers worry their business is hitting a dead end. Sales of caskets have been declining for years as more people choose cremation. But the economic slump is compounding...

Ode Magazine : The joy of dirt

NBC — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:34:10 PST

Here's a recent article by Larry Gallagher in Ode Magazine, where your AFM editor is quoted, somewhat sideways... "After I shed this mortal coil, I would like to get back into the mix as directly as possible. I call Cynthia...

New Jersey eco-funerals increase in popularity

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:26:35 PST

Paul Diamant reports on Eco-Funerals in New Jersey for the Star Ledger:LINK "[a natural burial is] what Paul Magalhaes Sr. wanted, so last October, when the 78-year-old North Bergen man was considering personal burial plans, he settled on a new...

WFMZ TV News - Profiles E. Nicos Elias natural funerals in Allentown, Pennsylvania

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:19:45 PST

"Going Green in the Afterlife" CLIPPING: You can now go green even in the afterlife. Funeral homes are offering more options to those who want to return to nature more naturally.Going green, even in death, can be a reality. "This...

Removing Outmoded Restrictions on Home Funerals

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:15:30 PST

November 12, 2009 - « Minnesota Threshold Network At the October 26th meeting of the Minnesota Threshold Network, we spent most of our time strategizing on how to improve Minnesota state laws governing home funerals. Our major concern is that...

Wisconsin Cemetery and Cremation - WCCA Reporter, Fall 2009

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:29:57 PST

[Prairie Home natural cemetery manager David Brenner of Waukesha Wisconsin has a good article in here about transitioning his cemetery to natural burial - ed] About 2 years ago, I was reading various environmental articles about such things as carbon...

Rhode Island: Assembly overrides veto of domestic partners’ funeral rights

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:33:49 PST

Rhode Island General Assembly > Press Releases -- Feb. 2, 2010 Assembly overrides veto of domestic partners’ funeral rights STATE HOUSE – Overriding the governor’s veto, the General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Rhoda E. Perry and Rep....

Comptroller's office knew of Burr Oak remains in '03

NBC — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:41:11 PST

via abclocal.go.com - 1/30/10 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com January 29, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Executives of the Burr Oak Cemetery believed more than six years ago that bodies had been improperly buried. And the details of what they knew...

NBC — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:11:02 PST

A tree instead of a head stone . Lock up your carbon in a tree and not the at the atmosphere,leave a footprint to be proud of. Leave a cleaner world for future generations. www.greenhaven.org.uk

Langley eyes fees for green burials

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:51:51 PST

via www.seattlepi.com By ROY JACOBSON SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD The first reading of a proposed new fee schedule to include green burials at the city cemetery will occupy the Langley City Council at its meeting next week. The council meets at...

Green is the new black for funerals - Times Online

NBC — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:49:17 PST

Rest in (eco) peace. Planning permission is being sought for Ireland’s first natural burial ground, where the occupiers’ graves would form the foundation of a native Irish forest. Colin McAteer, founder of The Green Graveyard Company, has leased a 7.5-acre...

New Jersey Natural Burials and Green Funerals

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:27:56 PST

Verona, NJ (PRWEB) January 19, 2010 -- Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, NJ, one of ten Catholic Cemeteries owned by the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, has had its first interment in a new section of the cemetery dedicated entirely to Natural...

"GREEN BURIAL" in Sleepy Hollow, New York is now on Craigslist

NBC — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:17:27 PST

Historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Unveils Green Burial space The Riverview Natural Burial Grounds at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery provides a landscape of unmatched natural beauty for those seeking a ¡§Green Burial¡¨ option for themselves or their loved ones. Situated deep within...

‘Make it more simple’ - Group envisions a ‘green’ ground on land in Jaffre

NBC — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:43:52 PST

Group envisions a ‘green’ ground on land in Jaffrey By Casey Farrar Sentinel Staff Published: Friday, January 15, 2010 JAFFREY — Right now, it’s an empty 5.7-acre field on Davidson Road in Jaffrey. But members of the town’s Quaker Meeting...

Pre-Paid Funeral Arrangements Becoming More Popular?

NBC — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:46:36 PST

Source: SouthCoastToday.com by Tom McGill Most people have a family doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, maybe even a financial planner and a personal trainer; not many have a family funeral director. Sitting down with a funeral director can accomplish three...

Natural crossing :: Good :: New Zealand’s guide to sustainable living

NBC — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:50:29 PST

Natural crossing :: Good :: New Zealand’s guide to sustainable living. December, 2009 [...this is a very well-written article about New Zealand's natural funeral movement... AFM Ed.] When Steve Hill woke up in the early hours of the morning, his...

Graves moved in Northeast cemetery to make way for parking lot | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/07/2009

NBC — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:36:56 PST

...archaeologists are digging up the remains of thousands of people. Since July, more than 1,500 bodies have been disinterred to make way for the Cancer Treatment Center of America's need for 200 parking spots.

Green Funerals « Vancouver Unitarians for Climate Action

NBC — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:29:17 PST

Green Funerals « Vancouver Unitarians for Climate Action. The City of Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery has been providing interment space for more than 100 years. The cemetery’s rules have always allowed for many elements of what is now referred to...

Natural burial grounds offer eco-friendly end-of-life alternative» Knoxville News Sentinel

NBC — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:51:56 PST

Natural burial grounds offer eco-friendly end-of-life alternative» Knoxville News Sentinel. When Marie Alcorn first mentioned the idea of having a green burial when she dies, her family had a hard time taking her seriously. "I've been thrifty all my life....

Daily Vanguard - To die a green death

NBC — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:30:35 PST

Daily Vanguard - To die a green death. By Robin Tinker Vanguard staff Not all of us will graduate college, give birth, win a Rose Bowl or even cook a Thanksgiving dinner, but we all will eventually die. Our own...

Saying ‘good bye’ and going out green | Editorial | Coast Reporter, Sunshine Coast, BC

NBC — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:36:20 PST

Saying ‘good bye’ and going out green | Editorial | Coast Reporter, Sunshine Coast, BC. It must be right at the top of the list of difficult things to talk about — death. Few people cannot name at least one...

Death goes green with eco-friendly burials | Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com

NBC — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:21:16 PST

Death goes green with eco-friendly burials | Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com. Bruce Clark asked his family to fulfill a single last wish as he lay dying of cancer last month in his Eugene home: He wanted to be...

Funeral fair opens door to eco-friendly exits

NBC — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:56:31 PST

Funeral fair opens door to eco-friendly exits. It's hard to always be ecologically correct - especially when you're dead. In the Bay Area, however, it's getting easier to die green. No need for embalming fluids, mortuary wakes, fancy caskets and...

Carlamuses: How to Piss Off the Fatally Ill

NBC — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:48:12 PST

Carlamuses: How to Piss Off the Fatally Ill. Monday, November 16, 2009 How to Piss Off the Fatally Ill How to talk to someone with ALS: The Do’s and Don’ts 1) If someone tells you that they have ALS, do...

Environmentalism Goes Beyond the Grave - The Daily Californian

NBC — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:09:20 PST

Environmentalism Goes Beyond the Grave - The Daily Californian. By Kelly Strickland Contributing Writer Thursday, November 12, 2009 Berkeley residents are known for being environmentally conscious, and last weekend, they had the opportunity to learn how to continue this passion...

Auspicious Jots: Funeral Directors Congregate - Boston Runs Low on Whiskey

NBC — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:07:23 PST

Auspicious Jots: Funeral Directors Congregate - Boston Runs Low on Whiskey. My apologies to the fine people of Boston, Massachusetts. I have spent my fifth work related trip there but have failed to see the sights or have a decent...

Wal-Mart Selling Caskets, Urns Online Just Like Costco

NBC — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:38:14 PST

Wal-Mart Selling Caskets, Urns Online - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com. MILWAUKEE — The world's largest retailer wants to keep its customers even after they die. Wal-Mart has started selling caskets on...

Getting back to basics: Green burials offered at historic cemetery | Shore News Today

NBC — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:41:01 PST

Getting back to basics: Green burials offered at historic cemetery | Shore News Today. STEELMANTOWN—Driving down Steelmantown Road there is a secluded wrought iron gate that peeks out of the woods and unless you were driving there specifically, you probably...

Embalming Fluid Facility Cited for Formaldehyde Hazards -- Occupational Health & Safety

NBC — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:56:00 PDT

Embalming Fluid Facility Cited for Formaldehyde Hazards -- Occupational Health & Safety. OSHA has cited The Dodge Co. Inc. for 41 alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Cambridge, Mass., production plant. The embalming fluid manufacturer faces...

Embalming Fluid Facility Cited for Formaldehyde Hazards -- Occupational Health & Safety

NBC — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:54:25 PST