Want a green burial? Donate your body to a medical school
To the editor: In his piece lamenting the lack of local environmentally responsible burial options for his recently deceased mother, Paul Thornton ignored the “greenest” possible option — recycling. It is free.
“Recycling” body parts, by making a whole-body donation to a medical school, costs nothing. Gifts of whole-body donations to medical schools allow organs to be harvested, saving lives and educating the next generation of doctors.
When my mother died, we followed her wishes and notified the medical school at UC San Diego, which sent people to respectfully remove her body. Following the school’s use of my mother’s body, her remains were cremated.
Kim C. Cox, El Cajon
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To the editor: Santa Monica’s Woodlawn Cemetery advertises green burials, though where the ground is located is in that crowded little cemetery. My parents and husband are buried there, and I hope to be — in ordinary graves.
However, when I saw my mother after she had been embalmed, I vowed to my husband that I wouldn’t go that route. So, Woodlawn permitted my husband to be buried in a standard casket without embalming, but the walls of the grave are concrete.
I’ve since inquired about a more environmentally friendly casket, but they are all hugely expensive.
Kay Devonshire, Santa Monica
