Rethinking The Cemetery

From an ecological standpoint, cemeteries are a waste of real estate. They are wastelands, with extremely low biodiversity rates. Modern practices of burying the dead have also not made cemeteries more environmentally friendly.

Cemeteries in the Philippines, or 'memorial parks' for those who want to speak fancy,  are oftentimes formerly lush jungles bulldozed over to make way for sprawling green lawns. The loss of foliage is, in itself, disheartening. But trees, especially in the world's tropical regions, are important also in other aspects. One would tell you that they are crucial ingredients in the fight against climate change, acting as naturally occurring carbon pits and agents promoting increased evaporation, two things that generic carabao grass cannot do very well.

The way that we bury the dead is also not friendly to nature. Even in death, we do not want to give anything back. Our dead are buried in the ground, sure, but they are enclosed in concrete tombs, prohibiting any transfer of nutrients from the carcass to the soil.

The way I envision it, cemeteries need to change. Developers of cemeteries need to take into account that their projects can make a good impact on nature if they adhere to certain practices.

First, we need to accept the phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust". We need to stop prolonging the inevitable and simply assist nature in its task of converting organic matter from the corpse to usable material for other living things. We have to do away with cement tombs and settle for wooden caskets instead. We also must lessen the use of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in our embalming process in favor of more eco-friendly alternatives, which do not leach toxic chemicals into the soil.

Second, we must bring back the trees to our cemeteries. This may be seen as an inconvenience to most, especially to the workers who prepare the ground for burial (since they have to deal with the roots every now and then). But cemeteries with trees equal more shade for visitors and families. Our current idea of a memorial park with green wide lawns is an inherently Western ideal which simply does not work here where the sun shines bright. Oftentimes, visitors have to endure the blazing heat of the sun while commemorating the death of their loved ones simply because the cemetery is one big grassland. With trees, this discomfort is minimized.

Trees, other than providing relief, are also very good habitats for fauna. The cemetery with trees can now serve dual purposes: first, as a repository for the dead and second, as a haven for species who would otherwise be victims of habitat loss.

Third, the cemetery can serve as a garden, or a flower patch to be exact. Now, this is a personal fantasy of mine. 

Imagine yourself walking to a loved one's final resting place. You haven't brought any flowers with you but then again you don't have to. That's because right there on top of your loved one's tomb is a flower patch. This is part of the services of the caretaker; they grow your preference of flowers on that small patch of real estate above where your loved one is lying in peace. So you get to choose your flowers, cut it, and place it on your loved one's tombstone, after which, you say your prayers.

Now, wouldn't that be wonderful?