Californians have warmed up to the climate fight so much that they will now also compost human remains.
Democratic-controlled California has legalized the practice of composting human remains to "save the planet from climate change."
State legislators have already voted and adopted the measure legalizing the procedure. The new laws will take effect in 2027, allowing Californians to continue their "fight against global warming" Slay reports .
But some eco-warriors in California aren't willing to wait that long. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Blaire Van Valkenburgh, a resident of California, is one of those who are already composting the remains of their loved ones.
Human composting - also known as natural organic reduction - is a relatively new process, during which the corpse is placed in a special container together with biodegradable materials that promote the faster transformation (decomposition) of the corpse into nutrient-rich soil.
Because this type of burial — natural organic reduction — won't be legal in California until 2027, Van Valkenburgh paid to have her husband's body flown to Washington, D.C., the first state to legalize human composting in 2020.
Composting funerals looks set to be a budding industry in Washington by 2027 Family-owned Clarity Funerals and Cremation in Anaheim and Return Home are already offering a package deal to Southern Californians who want to compost their loved ones in Washington
- wrote the LA Times.
Former Democrat Cristina Garcia, the author of the California law, spoke to the LA Times about the reasons for the move. "I love nature and I really want to be a tree in the afterlife," he told the newspaper.
“My family has a crypt in Mexico with no trees or shady spots. I want my land to have a plum tree, my favorite fruit, and my loved ones can visit me there"
he said.
According to human composting pioneer Katrina Spade, traditional burials and cremation of the dead contribute to the "climate crisis", but composting human remains helps fight climate change. "The truth is, poisoning is the last gesture most of us make on this Earth," Spade previously added.
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