Community Climate Discussion on Green Burial
February 22 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Join Heather Massey for a presentation and discussion on Green Burial in Massachusetts, on the Island and in Oak Bluffs in particular. Green Burial seeks to reduce the environmental impact of our last acts. We’ll provide the most current information on options available on island.
Did you know that …
“Green Burial” is permitted in Chilmark, West Tisbury and now in Oak Bluffs cemeteries?
Green Burial rules are similar, but not identical, from town to town and across the State?
By one estimate, each year we bury approximately**:
4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid;
64,500 tons of steel, 2,700 tons of copper and bronze, and 20-plus million board feet of hardwoods, much of it tropical (for caskets); and
1.6-plus million tons of reinforced concrete and another 14,000 tons of steel, for burial vaults and foundations (Green Burial Council 2014)?
**Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. http://www.greenburialma.org
We also plan to discuss …
How Does Green Burial Work?
Why Might One Want a Green Burial?
What about Cremation?
What Can You Do to Further Green Burial in Massachusetts?
Heather Massey, MSW, is a community death educator, end-of-life specialist, and consumer advocate for post-death options and choices, with over four decades of professional experience in the field of death, dying and bereavement. A lifelong student of thanatology, she studied and trained with Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and others. Massey is a former hospital Social Services Director and VNA/Hospice Administrator, having practiced in both the US and the UK. She is passionate about providing free death related learning opportunities in the community, and frequently teaches at medical, academic, and environmental conferences at regional, national and international venues. Massey’s family background includes home births and deaths, including three generations of home and family based after-death care. She is passionate about sharing and reviving the ancient art of natural deathcaring, and the many benefits therein for families, communities, and the environment.