Podcast: Water Cremation Ignites Debate Over Dignified Death

"Nicole Edwards: Alkaline hydrolysis has a similar effect to fire cremation. But it uses water and alkaline chemicals instead of fire. With the help of a machine, the heated mixture completely breaks down the flesh on an animal’s carcass — leaving clean, sterilized bone fragments behind. The rest, called effluent, just goes down the drain.

Jocelyne Monette: The public loved it. They thought it was unbelievable. So much so that right now in B.C. there’s a big movement to try and get this approved for humans as well.

Nicole Edwards: But the province of British Columbia says it isn’t ready to approve the use of alkaline hydrolysis on humans. In B.C., it’s the Solicitor General’s office that has the power to add it to the list of legal ways to dispose of a body — something funeral directors abide by. They declined an interview, but they did say they’re looking into it, and the effects of the procedure on the environment is one of their main concerns. After a decade of advocacy, Monette and her fellow green death enthusiasts are still trying to convince lawmakers and the public to get on board....

Each province and state has a specific list of ways you can dispose of dead bodies, and adding alkaline hydrolysis requires a change in the law. That’s where the funeral industry, religious groups, and public opinion can sometimes stop it in its tracks. Some of those opposed feel we don’t know enough about the environmental impacts of the effluent — the byproduct left over after the person has been processed. And others worry that because that effluent goes down the drain, alkaline hydrolysis is an undignified way to handle the dead...."