Not to be too morbid, but we must face up to the fact that we do not stop consuming when we stop breathing. While it has been fairly well documented that the whole death industry is pretty environmentally devastating, what about years after someone dies?
According to Joanne Tang (Greater Greater Washington, Jan 9 2019) Each year, burials in the United States use 30 million board feet of wood (each board foot is 12 inches by 12 inches by 1 inch), more than 104,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial structures, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. This doesn’t even account for the granite dug out of quarries for tombstones.
Now cemeteries can be pastoral, quiet places suitable for mourners and can attract wildlife like coyotes, foxes, rabbits, birds and such, a welcomed respite amongst high rises and freeways. But long after the tears have dried and the mourners have gone home, cemeteries keep using resources. First of all they take up land, about one acre per one thousand people according to an initial Google inquiry, or about 330,000 acres in the US with our current population. But nowadays they have underground irrigation systems to water their acreage in the absence of rain and use herbicides to keep their lawns looking uniform. They also continue to impact the economy because their estates must continue to pay for their upkeep, so much for stopping our purchases when we are no longer above ground.
We often ask when a state like Colorado becomes popular, when its open space is coveted by those tired of crowded cities, what will happen to the water supply, the air quality and wildlife? The 'Californication' of Colorado has been well discussed as a trend that destroys the very beauty people seek. What has been less discussed is the fact that all of those new migrants will need to be put to rest somewhere. Since 2010, Colorado’s population has grown by 745,000 people. Assuming most will not have their bodies shipped back to their birthplaces, that means a death impact of needing to find 7,450 acres in cemetery space.
People will answer that cremation is a space saving answer, though many urns are also put into cemeteries requiring long term maintenance. But it may not be a viable option for everyone. According to Jade Colley ( May 3,2019 in Solace), many religions prohibit or discourage cremation including the Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox Jews, Islam, and some Presbyterians. Others suggest burials in natural areas so people can become trees or even burials at sea. Again all of this assumes there is still room for the millions who will need the space.
On a country wide level, as we continue to grow mostly by immigration, we need to consider that we will need to find more space to eventually bury these new arrivals and continue to service the land they occupy long after they are gone. According to Pew Research Center, “U.S. population projections show that if current demographic trends continue, future immigrants and their descendants will be an even bigger source of population growth. Between 2015 and 2065, they are projected to account for 88% of the U.S. population increase, or 103 million people, as the nation grows to 441 million.” While this might be great news for those in the funeral and tombstone industries, it doesn’t bode well for a country that will eventually be overrun with unsustainable cemeteries.
It is hard for even die-hard environmentalists to imagine our water supplies dwindling from overpopulation pressure, since our aquifers are out of sight and we are disconnected from seeing our reservoirs on a daily basis. But most people drive by cemeteries every week if not every day. It is easier for most of us to imagine the dwindling supply of land needed to accommodate the coffins of the future. Where in the world will we bury everyone?
When considering our ability to absorb new immigrants in a land that is suffering from so much abuse and overuse, it’s time to add this rather morbid issue to the table. As the Tombstone pizza commercial cleverly asks, “What do you want on your tombstone,?” I would answer, “Olives and mushrooms and a quote in granite that says “Overpopulation needs to be unearthed as an issue that really matters.”