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    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

Has anyone here ever heard about "Aquamation?"

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Okay...sorry....very dark or uncomfortable subject, but, recently I've become aware of Aquamation, which is an alternative to Cremation. I've heard that Cremation equals the carbon footprint of 1,000 hours of driving in a car across country. Who wants that? And the burying of a body that has been embalmed is so toxic to the world...who wants to do that? Then I heard about the "greener solution" Aquamation, where the body goes into a pressure-cooker type of device with a few organic type chemicals and then with pressure and heat the body is reduced to bones and dental or other implants in the matter of a few hours; theory is it is the sped up version of decomposition. And, if you can believe it, it reduces the body to a few peptides and such that flush down the drain with no ecological impact.... And the remaining bones are pulverized and preserved for the family for scattering or being placed in an urn. Any non-physical left overs like mercury amalgams, pacemakers, implants, are collected and recycled: the idea being that they do not pollute the earth.

Many people are uncomfortable with traditional burials and cremations seemed like a good idea. BUT, I'd like to be a positive on the earth...not a negative. Different locals have different legal requirements...in most places, it is embalming and burial, but that is changing. What do you think?

Do any of you have any experience with Aquamation?

Let's Talk.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Come on guys...need your input! Aquamation? Cremation? Standard burial? Anyone know about Aquamation?
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
P.S. Previous pet was cremated and my husband has orders that my cat, WatchCat is to be buried (?) with me. If I survive Bailey, she will be cremated to buried with her dad and me. But this new thing...Aquamation, sounds very "green" very considerate of the earth. Wondering about changing my standing orders and asking for this instead. What do you think?

Sorry if you are grossed out by burial with our pets...we want to be together, but greener is better.
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
Never heard of it before. I will admit I haven't thought much about what to do after death (mine, family or pets). To me the physical remains just aren't that important.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
My family knows what we want done after death. Having a viewing and such is a big thing in my husband's family. I do NOT want that. My plan was always cremation in the least expensive way possible. The cheapest box - cardboard if they'll do it - and then my ashes in the cheapest receptacle. My daughters will use me, and my dogs ashes, to plant a strong tree. Nothing weak. A nice strong tree like an Oak. Our friend's mother requested that her body be donated to the medical school. I thought that was a wonderful thing to do, and I'm now considering doing that. My son-in-law is in med school and he said that the bodies are treated respectfully. They were told to show the respect that they would want someone to show their mother. At the end of the learning period there is a cremation and the cremains are returned to the family if the family has requested that.

I've never heard of Aquamation. I'll be looking into it now. If it really is so much more environmentally friendly than cremation, I'd be all for it. If it's not crazy expensive. Do you know how it compares in price? I also wonder how difficult it would be to find somewhere that does it.
 

Jarena

Well-Known Member
I’ve never heard of it either. Sounds like a good idea though.
My family also knows that I want absolutely NO viewing also. We think alike, Boxergirl. I have also made it clear that I want as little money spent as possible. I have said that I want to be cremated. But donating my remains to science sounds like a fantastic idea! I had never thought about that before.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Yes, I've considered a donation to science, and I did know of one family that opted for that, but it was because of their limited finances (also, because the woman had had a cross-species heart implant!!! No kidding!) They had been missionaries in Africa and had never amassed any great amount of wealth, and it seemed like a positive thing to do, especially since she had been a part of leading experiments regarding transplants, but also because they had a great love of the medical profession and the doctors that had served with them in Africa. Most of you are too young to know the names of great missionary doctors like Dr. Switzer, but there was reverence for him and for the others that served with him, a deep and abiding reverence all over the world.

I was raised Catholic and cremation was NOT allowed...at least you couldn't be buried in a Catholic cemetery, but that changed before my father died, so many years ago, and my mother had always said cremation or nothing.

As for cost...? Not sure. I know there are at least two places in Ontario that do it, but maybe there are more. One is Ottawa and the other is Kingston. I'll have to dig deeper.

Oh, and for any of you that are wondering, my friend's wife had an experimental surgery replacing her heart with a pig's heart. It didn't work out though and she died within the year, but that was 20 or 30 years ago. Life is odd, isn't it?
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
Never heard of it. I want to be cremated as well. I did see this one tree pod thing I thought looked cool where they use your remains to plant a tree. I havent looked deeply into any of it yet.
 

April Nicole

Well-Known Member
I haven't heard of it either. I haven't given much thought to what's done w my remains. I am a Christian though and hope in the verse that says,"to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord."
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Absent with the body...a short walk across the rainbow bridge. I have sinned, but, I have lived my life generally by the Golden Rule, and the God I know is kind and welcoming. I believe that I will see my loved ones again, both two-and-four legged, for all my faults, for "we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God." Sorry if that is a misquote, I used to use the NIV version of the Bible, BUT, I haven't touched it since this new evil has come into the world. I'm old enough to remember the evil brought about while mouthing such Biblical imprecations.

However; that...those issues are best kept to the Controversial thread....

Death and Life, and burial or aquamation/cremation, well, that's the discussion here, and it is one I need to have. God's got my number and my back.