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Oregon has legalized human composting

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31–40 of 240 posts

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#31
post #26

I wonder what is the risk of prions diseases. > A 68 kg (150 lbs) body which contains 65% water will require 100 MJ of thermal energy before any combustion will take place. 100 MJ is approximately equivalent to 3 m3 (105 ft3) of natural gas, or 3 liters of fuel oil (0.8 US gallons). Additional energy is necessary to make up for the heat capacity ("preheating") of the furnace, fuel burned for emissions control, and he…

Since prions are found abundantly in the head, just bury or lock away the skulls and treat them like nuclear waste. Compost or cremate the rest of the body.

Sounds like a civilized thing to do. Just hack off the head and store it in some permanent disposal site. Then a few centuries later our ancestors will have to move the nuclear waste because of some leakage and will dig up the skulls.

Clearly a savage had lived there amongst the nuclear barrels. Its mind altered by the radiation, chopping off those poor worker heads.

If it wasn't clear: /s

And yes prions might be dangerous but what you propose seems out of proportion.

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#32
post #29
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since prions are found abundantly in the head, just bury or lock away the skulls and treat them like nuclear waste. Compost or cremate the rest of the body.

This is a solved problem! My startup is building modern, cutting-edge catacombs where we're redefining what it means to have a huge, underground maze full of decomposing human heads.

I think your funding should primarily come from Kickstarter, I think that there will be very few lawsuits of people who want to deposit their skull.

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#33
post #29
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since prions are found abundantly in the head, just bury or lock away the skulls and treat them like nuclear waste. Compost or cremate the rest of the body.

This is a solved problem! My startup is building modern, cutting-edge catacombs where we're redefining what it means to have a huge, underground maze full of decomposing human heads.

Dark humor

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#34

I wonder what is the risk of prions diseases. > A 68 kg (150 lbs) body which contains 65% water will require 100 MJ of thermal energy before any combustion will take place. 100 MJ is approximately equivalent to 3 m3 (105 ft3) of natural gas, or 3 liters of fuel oil (0.8 US gallons). Additional energy is necessary to make up for the heat capacity ("preheating") of the furnace, fuel burned for emissions control, and he…

>> fuel oil (0.8 US gallons) > eco-friendly

For people who drove cars.. mostly a (once-in-a-lifetime) symbolical gesture.

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#35
post #29
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since prions are found abundantly in the head, just bury or lock away the skulls and treat them like nuclear waste. Compost or cremate the rest of the body.

This is a solved problem! My startup is building modern, cutting-edge catacombs where we're redefining what it means to have a huge, underground maze full of decomposing human heads.

I have no idea if this is true or not... and that worries me.

I think it's not, but, maybe?

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#36

Why can't people just opt to be buried without embalming or a casket? Sounds like a nice way to go buried whole and maybe with some sort of tree seed that grows over where you are laid. Not going to lie on a personal level, the composting process sounds terrible.

What about getting set up on pyre in Varanasi? To be fair, not really a green option (CO2 emissions) but feels a bit more natural than being buried

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#37
post #20
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would think bone doesn't break down much during this process. So what are we left to do with the mixed-up skeleton?

Make jelly?

Given prions, I would imagine this would be a step backward for public health.

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#38

Why can't people just opt to be buried without embalming or a casket? Sounds like a nice way to go buried whole and maybe with some sort of tree seed that grows over where you are laid. Not going to lie on a personal level, the composting process sounds terrible.

I think there is the option (at least in the UK [1]) to be buried in a coffin which is quickly biodegradable, thereby speeding up the recycling process. [1] - https://naturalendings.co.uk/green-coffins/

There's this Dutch startup growing coffins with fungus.

https://futurism.com/living-cocoon-coffin-fungus

Re: Oregon has legalized human composting

#40
post #22

Why can't people just opt to be buried without embalming or a casket? Sounds like a nice way to go buried whole and maybe with some sort of tree seed that grows over where you are laid. Not going to lie on a personal level, the composting process sounds terrible.

Personally I'd opt for a Mongolian style sky burial. They just take you out onto a mountainside, cut you up a little bit, and the carrion birds and other animals come to eat you up. Seems like the quickest way to return your elements to the earth.

This reminds me of the Towers of Silence found in historical Persia, and modern-day India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence

Zoroastrian rituals related to death are fascinating (not only because of their impact on abrahamic religions, but that's a different story)

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