That just ain't for me...

I wasn't planning on posting today--with midterms hitting their pinnacle tomorrow, I really should be studying--but sometimes something strikes one's attention and just begs to be blogged about.

I saw this just now on CommonSense and Wonder, one of my personal favorite blogs. The original article appeared here:

Cremation to be replaced by eco-friendly freeze-drying of corpses

It brings a new meaning to the phrase "dust to dust".

Funerals in Britain could soon end with the body of a loved-one being frozen to -196C in liquid nitrogen and then shaken until it disintegrates into powder.

The process - known as "promession" - could be the answer to the dwindling amount of space in Britain's cemeteries as well as being more environmentally friendly than cremation, say campaigners.

It has already been given the go-ahead in Sweden, and now councils are lobbying the Government to change the law to allow it to happen here - currently bodies can only be buried or cremated.

[...]

Around seven out of ten people currently opt for the cheaper option of cremation, but that also has its problems.

Burning dental fillings creates mercury emissions, and Government targets mean filters must be fitted to crematoria, some of which may have to be completely rebuilt as a result at a cost of millions.

Supporters also say it boosts the environment further as it is better at recycling nutrients than burial where the body is embalmed and buried at greater depth.
So as bizarre as it sounds, growing numbers of councils are signing up to the idea of freeze-drying bodies.

The process involves dipping the body in -196C liquid nitrogen until it is brittle, and then placing it on a vibrating mat so it disintegrates into powder.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I do know that I do NOT want to be embalmed, nor do I want an autopsy, even if foul play is suspected. There is just something disgusting about that. It seems almost disrespectful.

Last year I watched a single--one!--episode of the show "House." In that episode, Dr. House (is that his name?) treated a dead woman's body very terribly as he attempted to convince her husband to let him use one of her organs. It was very upsetting to me. That's when I decided I am not so sure about organ donations either...

But to be shattered into oblivion upon death might be worse. It's like that seen in Terminator 2, when 'the Governator' freezes the liquid guy and then bashes him...

Shattering one's dead body...that just ain't for me.