Funeral

With cemeteries filling up and the rising cost of traditional burials, cremation is a preferred option for a growing number of Greek citizens, but the church considers cremation a sin.

For most of recent human history, we’ve opted for burial and cremation. Washington State residents now have a new green option: human composting — also known as natural organic reduction.

Death is expensive. The American casket industry is a $1.5 billion business, leading some families to seek out cheaper options from China. But the Chinese haven’t been able to bury the American competition.

India’s ritual of cremation is causing environmental complications. The Ganges River, where many are cremated, is remarkably polluted. And the country is rapidly being deforested as families collect thousands of pounds of wood to use in their funeral pyres.

For decades, Americans have turned to professionals to prepare the bodies of dead loved ones for burial. But now, in at least some circles, that practice is being challenged as a few Americans choose to prepare their own loved ones’ bodies on their own.