What I've Been Wondering
We're so into the environment these days, right? There's so much talk about not polluting the air and properly disposing of garbage, whether that means recycling or composting or whatever.
I know a lot of people like to be cremated. But what I don't understand is why people think it's okay to throw their loved ones ashes into oceans. Aunt Joyce loved sailing? Throw her in the ocean while out on her favorite sailboat. Uncle Jerry loved fishing? Throw him out into the lake on a day when the fish are really biting. Why is this an acceptable thing?
People go SWIMMING in lakes and oceans! I don't want to swim among ashes! Am I the only person who thinks there's something wrong with this practice?
I know a lot of people like to be cremated. But what I don't understand is why people think it's okay to throw their loved ones ashes into oceans. Aunt Joyce loved sailing? Throw her in the ocean while out on her favorite sailboat. Uncle Jerry loved fishing? Throw him out into the lake on a day when the fish are really biting. Why is this an acceptable thing?
People go SWIMMING in lakes and oceans! I don't want to swim among ashes! Am I the only person who thinks there's something wrong with this practice?
Labels: Overthinking
posted by Green at 10/28/2008 08:39:00 PM
9 Comments:
I'm not sure that it's disgusting...they're just ashes, not live decomposing tissue. They can't infect anything anymore. Plus, thousands of fish die in the oceans and rivers everyday and we still swim in those waters. I don't think it's a big deal.
S, I'm not grossed out that it's a former person or that it's human waste or whatever. I'd be equally grossed out if someone bundled up the ashes from their fireplace and dumped those in oceans or lakes also. Just because there is pollution in the form of death of animals that naturally live (and die) in these bodies of water doesn't mean we should artificially add to that pollution.
Remind me not to invite you to come with me to the Ganges...
I'm not an expert at all, but won't the ashes eventually just settle on the ocean-/lake-ground and thus be, well, gone? Despite, it is organic material, so I have my problems with considering it "pollution" in a narrow sense of the word to feed such matter "back" to nature.
I wouldn't consider ashes a polluting factor either, though I see where you're coming from. Ashes are basically sterile, very small particles that will either settle to the bottom, and/or get filtered through the flora and fauna of the sea. Also, considering how much ashes fill, compare to the sheer mass of the world's ocean, it's not a biggy.
Much worse is the amount of detergent, soap and fabric softener that ends up in the world's water supply. Not to mention all of the medicines we take, that we pee right out again. Now that, is disgusting.
There was a big fuss made because people wanted their ashes dumped into the water at "It's a Small World" in Disneyland... that water is already toxic, but I don't know why people would want to permanently be a part of it.
That IS crazy, Keith. Why would anyone want to be tormented for eternity by that awful "It's a Small World" song?! Gah!
Burial, from what I've read, has a much higher environmental impact, including on water supply. A good but very stupid looking site discusses the environmental impact of cremation versus burial, although I can't find information on the impact of the cremains specifically: http://www.cremate-me.net/env.php
In any case, it would be more useful if, rather than scattering, people chose an option like Eternal Reefs (http://www.eternalreefs.com/). Not only does that not hurt the environment, it actually helps.
Okay sad story alert. My friend in kindergarten was run over just outside our school by another child's mom (accidentally) and she died and "It's a small world" was her favorite song and we sang it at her memorial and ever since then that ride has made me cry.
The end.
Oh and I'm cool with the ashes scattering. I think.
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