What is the purpose of the Society?

The Natural Earth Burial Society is a non-profit, community based group formed to lobby Governments to provide land, and assist industry participants to establish Natural Earth Burial Grounds for the people of Australia.

As well, the Society has commenced lobbying to see the process of cremation phased out in Australia by 2020. The call is based upon a commonsense view of cremation as a violent and unnecessary process, as well as recent environmental research confiming it as a significant polluter and consumer of fossil fuels.

What is Natural Earth Burial?

Natural Earth Burial is an environmentally responsible funeral style in which the deceased is accommodated in a bio-degradable shroud and buried directly in the earth at a medium depth (with no coffin to interfere with natural decomposition). Natural Earth Burial in existing cemeteries is already available in Adelaide through White Knight Funerals who have developed technology to conduct this type of burial with the requisite dignity. The innovation has attracted considerable interest from public and media alike and appearing recently on the ABC's New Inventors program.


What would be different about a Natural Earth Burial Ground?

Just about everything! I invite you to share the vision of a ‘Forest of Souls’; a permanent, natural memorial ground developed by the gradual re-vegetation of suitable land. Lower storey re-vegetation will take place progressively as burials are conducted, and then as greater areas are occupied, the establishment of upper storey vegetation (permanent trees) will be undertaken to ultimately re-create a diverse, locally-appropriate, eco-system. The Forest of Souls will be a lasting gift from the dead to the living, a permanent memorial as well as a natural preserve contributing to the environmental health of our planet.

The funeral service may be conducted at the Chapel & Lounge facility within the grounds, followed by the burial in a perpetual burial site costing less than currently charged for 50 year lease sites in suburban cemeteries. Having also eliminated the expense of a coffin, the cost of a natural earth burial is less than traditional burial and on par with cremation.

Each grave is identified with a discreet, permanent, ground level marker containing an embedded microchip, but the ground has no traditional headstones to mar the natural beauty of its grounds. Instead the desire to memorialise is addressed with tastefully designed, low maintenance memorial ‘kiosks’ strategically positioned about the grounds. The site of every interrment is recorded using GPS technology and visitiors can easily locate a particular grave using hand held GPS units available for loan at the Office located within the grounds.


What do the Scientists say?

In 2007, international consulting firm GHD was commissioned to undertake a study comparing the environmental impact of cremation and burial. The study confirmed the obvious fact that cremation is a significant polluter (contributing an average of 160kg of CO2 to the atmosphere per case), but also reported the less obvious fact that traditional burial grounds requiring high levels of on-going maintenance (and irrigation) do, in the longer term contribute even more CO2 than cremation. For clarity, it is not burial itself which is the problem, but rather the high, on-going maintenance requirements of traditional cemeteries.

In contrast, a Natural Earth Burial carried out within the confines of a low maintenance, Natural Earth Burial Ground, will likely contribute less than 30kg of CO2; a small carbon ‘debt’ that is quickly offset and repaid with interest by the permanent, low maintenance re-vegetation. 

So the jury is in, and compared to natural earth burial, both cremation and traditional burial are found to be environmentally irresponsible. It is one thing to consume to support human life, but in these enlightened times, to treat our dead in such a way that they continue to consume post mortem is absurd.


Will the Government listen?

Back in the late 1800’s the Cremation Society of Adelaide made history when it successfully lobbied the Government, and Australia’s first crematorium was built on West Terrace. Of course, had environmental impact been a consideration back then, they would not have succeeded, given that the cremation process consumes fossil fuels and contributes more than 10.4 million kilograms of CO2 to the atmosphere annually (as well as a host of toxic pollutants).

When it was first suggested, cremation faced considerable public opposition, seen then as a violent and unnecessary practice. It also required the development and passing of legislation as well as the construction of a crematorium. By comparison there is no opposition to natural earth burial, all the necessary legislation is in place and the establishment of a cemetery is a relatively low cost, simply process. So the answer is yes, we believe in these environmentally enlightened times that the Government will listen and respond favourably.

The Society has commenced its work in South Australia by writing to The Hon Gail Gago, Minister for Environment and Conservation, seeking the grant of a parcel of land south of the city for the first cemetery. The correspondence has been forwarded to The Hon Paul Holloway's office for opinion, and we are awaiting further advice. We have sought meetings with both Ministers to present the Society's case.

Just as the Cremation Society succeeded, so too will the Natural Earth Burial Society, and you can help make it happen by becoming a member of this history making movement. Click here to join up on line - it's free!

Yours sincerely,

Kevin E Hartley
President

Personal Disclosure Statement:
Kevin Hartley is the founder and Director of White Knight Funerals Pty Ltd