The planet Earth is our home and there is currently great concern for its health. And because of this, there is growing interest in the concept of green burial, as an option for final disposition.

Green burial is burial that can take place without the use of formaldehyde-based embalming, metal caskets, and concrete burial vaults. It's essentially the way most of humanity has cared for its dead for thousands of years up until the late 19th century. ¹

Therefore, green burial could be less damaging to our home than conventional embalming and burial.

The Green Burial Council is a nonprofit organization that encourages the use of green burial as a means of facilitating the restorative, acquisition and stewardship of natural areas through out the United States. It has been working, since 2005 to make burial sustainable for the planet, meaningful for the families, and economically viable for the provider. They have emerged as the "gold standard" among consumers, land trusts, park service agencies as well the cemetery/funeral profession. ²

There are three green burial options, per the Green Burial Council, that could exist.

The first is a Conservation Burial Ground which is a green cemetery that involves an established conservation partner, which holds a conservation easement on the property, and is operated according to principles of restoration ecology. The second is a Natural Burial Ground which is a green cemetery that, as with a Conservation Burial Ground, is required to engage in restoration planning and land stewardship. A Natural Burial Ground does not need to have a conservation easement, but must utilize a deed restriction or restrictive covenant to ensure it will only be operated as a green cemetery. The third option is a Hybrid Burial Ground which is a cemetery that operates a facility accommodating both conventional practices as well as green burial. In some instances a Hybrid Burial Ground simply allows for vaultless burial on its premises. In other instances, a Hybrid Burial Ground may incorporate tenants of a Natural Burial Ground including engaging in sustainable landscape design and natural memorialization. ³

Goes Funeral Care is currently trying to promote the idea of green burial in the city of Fort Collins or in the region. However, at this time, there are no Green Burial Council approved Conservation Burial Grounds, Natural Burial Grounds or Hybrid Burial Grounds in our area. We are able to apply some green burial principals within the parameters with which we have to work. The City of Fort Collins will allow ground burial of an unembalmed person and in a biodegradable casket or shroud. They do still require a dome vault which they will invert so that the casket or shroud is placed directly on the dirt in the grave. They require this for their maintenance of grounds in the two city cemeteries. If you are interested in having a regional or city Conservation, Natural or Hybrid Burial Ground, please contact our City Council and express your concerns. The city of Colorado Springs Cemeteries and their City Council is actively engaged in conversation to have some type of green burial. One added note, the city of Wellington maintains a more natural cemetery that does not require a vault for the residents of Wellington. This cemetery has traditional burial as well. It is not certified by the Green Burial Council.

Our firm makes available several green burial options and is one of a select group of funeral providers certified by the Green Burial Council. For these arrangements, formaldehyde based embalming is not used and refrigeration is utilized including the use of dry ice and cold packs. Caskets or alternative containers are made of bio-degradable materials such as pine, cardboard, willow and sea grass or the use of a linen burial shroud is promoted. Public visitations or church funerals are options that may be arranged within the limited time frame green burial allows. Each death and the request families make for arrangements must be reviewed individually to see what would be feasible. Our funeral home, therefore, reserves the right to disallow a public viewing or church funeral with an unembalmed body under certain circumstances of death.

If a family is interested in a home funeral and then burial or cremation, a green burial on their land or to have more intimate involvement at one's death, Goes Funeral Care is here is help and support this process. We feel you, the family, directs us and we assist you. We want to help you create a meaningful funeral experience and one that helps with healing.

Goes Funeral Care has always considered the environmental impact of what we do. We have always questioned if an urn purchase was needed or if a casket was necessary or if embalming was truly required. We are currently researching more environmentally safe preserving products from England where traditional formaldehyde based products are close to being outlawed. This does not change our views on green burial and services we can offer a family without embalming, we are just looking at alternatives for certain situations. We have been keeping an eye on the emissions of our crematory from a polluting point of view as well as what carbon foot print we are leaving behind with this method of final disposition. To offset our carbon foot print, Goes Funeral Care is buying wind credits and reforesting the earth through the nonprofit organization, Trees Water and People, Inc.

Is the future green burial? At this point in time, it would appear to be a very viable option and one that we, as residents of Earth, might seriously consider. If you are interested in this concept, please call us to discuss what options might exist for you.

^{1 http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/ (September 23, 2008)
2 Ibid
3 Ibid}