Alkaline hydrolysis: yes or no?

Question

Background Info: I just read that there's a fairly new method out there for disposing of dead bodies based on speeding up the process of alkaline hydrolysis (bodily decay). Basically, the remains are placed in a large metal cylinder which is then filled with a mixture of water and lye, dissolving the body into a brown, syrupy liquid state, leaving behind so-called "bone shadows" which are powdered into ashes and can be kept like ashes after a cremation. The whole point of this process is that the liquid can be straight-out dumped into sewers and creates less hazardous waste and overspill than the more traditional methods of handling corpses. More info here:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9195930?source=most_emailed

I'll agree it sounds horrible at first, but after a while I thought it was no worse than burning up corpses or stuffing/embalming them.

What do you think: is this method too ghastly to accept or is it a great new technology to be accepted along with the others?

Answer 1

Hmm.... we flush our p**p, and anyone who is sane is OK with this.

What is the difference here?

The only difference is that we are insanely attached to the body, to our bodies, even though death makes the human body irrelevant.

I say "yes".

Answer 2

We have a hard time accepting new things, especially if the technology is supporting an emotionally charged human process. Remember all the brouhaha surrounding in vitro fertilization? Well now it's a common enough practice. Eventually, we get used to new things.

I just read about this hydrolysis process for the first time today. Fascinating! The fact that is is already used in some medical facilities and research institutions is a good indication that it is an effective, affordable and reasonable solution.

It is terribly, terribly painful to loose a loved one. But when my mother died, I recognized that her body was not something to hold on to. It needed to be disposed of. I felt my family would benefit more by making the most economically sound decision, so we chose cremation. It was very inexpensive. If we would have had a choice between alkaline hydrolysis and cremation, we would have selected the process that demonstrated less damage to the environment.

Answer 3

LOL, you beat me to asking this very question after I saw the news!

It does indeed sound horrible, but then again, cremation sounds horrible to me too.  I think it is because we attach sentiments to the body left behind, since it represents who we knew and/or loved, and to desecrate it would seem sacreligous.  However, the reasonable side of me understand that it does not take up space (as in a cemetary) and there are no toxic emissions (from cremation).  The only thing I still have trouble with is that the syrupy "waste" can be drained....