Green Funeral

So I'm driving home from work today listening to how bad the Red Raiders choked on the local sports station, when a construction site catches my eye. I look closer, and its another freaking funeral home! Funeral homes and Senior living communities are popping up like Starbucks in the Dallas suburbs.

When I get home I do some research and learn that the National Funeral Directors Association needs a new website, and expects 2.6 million deaths in 2010...then over 3 mil in 2020. According to their fact sheet, in 2004 the average US cost of a funeral was $6,500. That cost includes an outer burial container, but does not include cemetery costs. Are you kidding me? These guys are ripping people off.

Then I start thinking more about the funeral ceremony and all the wastes involved in the process. Doesn't it seem weird that when a loved one dies, we embalm'em then store'em in a bulky, decay-resistant wooden casket?

So naturally I type 'green funerals' in google, and BAM....I'm inundated with great ideas that others (mostly Europeans) have already thought of. Things like cardboard biodegradable coffins, or super-eco friendly recycled newspaper coffins that look like those Yakima storage containers that the lesbians in Oregon put on top of their Subaru's.
The Spaniards are even getting creative with their new solar power cemetary. So what do you guys think? Maybe there's a serious future for an inexpensive green funeral service in the US.

Green Golf

If the green revolution is to take off, I think it has to affect every area of our lives. The top priority in many people's lives after all the answers they give out of obligation is golf. This article talks about how more and more golf courses are making environmentally friendly (and money-saving) changes to their courses to make them more green.

"If courses act as environmental stewards, there is the opportunity for them to actually benefit nature. The vast expanses of green grass and trees act as "air conditioners" and produce large quantities of oxygen while cleansing the air of pollution. Turfgrass can trap and hold pollutants in place, acting as a catch basin for residential and industrial runoff, according to the GCSAA. Golf courses can also be built on environmentally damaged sites, like landfills. And golf course managers, who often cite their love of nature for their career choice, continue to push new and innovative solutions to environmental problems."

I personally like the idea of golf courses built on former landfills. All that garbage would probably grow some nice grass. Would you pay more to golf at a green course? Would you play at a course that was green but the conditions weren't as perfect as the non-green course across the street?

Green Buildings = Easier Financing

"Environmentally friendly projects may have an edge in finding funding"

With the credit crunch, the ability to obtain funding has got to be nearly impossible.  Any advantage you can get is huge.  This is a huge opportunity for green builders, if they can impress lenders with their green building designs.

Green Construction article

"My View: We can create 'green' construction"

My favorite line from the article:

"Expect more locally sourced construction materials, saving transport costs and creating greater regional differences in buildings' appearances and regional adaptation."

It seems more natural to have variety based on locally/regionally available materials, don't you think?

I also like this quote:

"Today's younger people seem less tied to the idea of workplace. Face-to-face business interaction is essential, but imagine working where you are, rather than spending fuel and time to travel to work."

Brophy sells some cool high-def video solutions that make a lot of business travel unnecessary. Maybe he'll blog on this later.

The Greeniuses now on Facebook!

If you have a facebook account go to groups and search for "The Greeniuses." This is another great way to get the word out about the blog and all that is going on. Make sure to invite as many as your friends to join as you can so we can really get the discussion rolling.

Thanks,

Sean

link here: http://www.facebook.com/friends/?ref=tn#/group.php?gid=36674187377