Go Greener Tips

A looming danger is ahead, darkness everywhere, no electricity, no oil. What happens to us when oil runs out? Can you imagine nothing to fuel our cars, airplanes, tractors, a decline in farming, a decline in food production? The future seems gloom, everybody’s predicting that humanity itself will fall into decline. The richer countries siphoning of crops from third world countries to create bio-fuel; the third world countries slowly fading in hunger. We need to find sustainable power and we need it fast; our very existence depends upon it.

Solar Power

When we think of alternative energy resources, solar power immediately comes to mind. Evidently when we talk of solar power, we speak of harnessing the suns god given energy. This solar energy is transformed into electric current with the use of photovoltaics, concentrating solar power and other various technologies which are currently in the developmental and experimental stage. Solar energy works well for domestic electricity supply.

Wind Power

Employed for ages with remnants of its bygone past still evident in Northwestern Europe, the Wind Mill is making a come back. The best thing about the power of the wind is that it can never be depleted. It is natural, all around us and all we have to do is construct wind farms and then everything’s done. Economically utilizing the power of the wind makes sense. It literally has no maintenance and overhead costs.

Tropical countries use hydroelectricity as their source of power, using the waters gravitational force which comes from a high source. This is a great alternative for energy, it is a whole lot cheaper and it is environmentally safe because hydroelectric plants do not emit dangerous substances in the air nor the waters. It is pure nature. Fossil fuel driven power plants emit dangerous gases into the air while plants that are hydroelectrically driven are proven to emit a much lesser degree of greenhouse grass.

Nuclear Energy

Another source of alternative energy is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy together with other kinds of nuclear technology can harness energy. Nuclear reactors can generate steam energy by heating the water thus converting water into steam and then converting the steam into electricity. Nuclear energy are widely used in vessels and ships from all over the world.

Geothermal Power

Geothermal power is the heat that is being amassed down below from the earth’s surface. This is another way of making conventional power than that of fossil driven plants which is very much costly. This power is much feasible and also another environmental friendly alternative source of power driven by nature itself.

One big geothermal plant can power up to one whole urban community, supplying all the power it needs while a small geothermal plant can power up a small village and small buildings. One good thing about natural sources such as this one is that a geothermal power plant does not harm the air or the ozone layer because they do not emit poisonous gasses while in operation.

Using any of these alternative power sources can help us and the earth as well. It is cost effective and they are much less harmful to the earth. Using bio-fuel and using alternative power sources can be a way to save the earth and this is the future of our world.

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Today climate change is a reality that is acknowledge by even the most doubtful of skeptics. The warmer temperatures in areas where its supposed to be cool, scorching summers, and bone chilling winter have become a pattern that people cannot simply ignore.

What The War About?

Funny enough it seems that people are getting desperate and all are turning to bio-fuel like it’s the savior of all mankind. So what is bio-fuel? Bio-fuel is any gaseous, solid, or liquid material derived from biological materials. The argument ensues when people talk of the future. Bio-fuel’s raw materials are usually agricultural crops that are made to undergo fermentation and certain processes in order to produce bio-fuel.

The Problem

Who is the world’s largest oil consumer? Those with the highest number of vehicles running their roads, countries like the US, England and generally most of the European nations. When you think about it bio-fuel is made from corn, sugarcane, palm oil, vegetable oil, and etc; where do these agricultural crops come from? Third World Countries.

In Mexico they have this “tortilla crisis”. Corn which is the basic ingredient of tortilla is now sold five times the price it used to be marketed for. The reason for the inflated prices? The demand of bio-fuel in highly developed countries has severely altered the business people’s sense of profit. Why sell for a dollar when you can for 5 because the demand is now higher.

Who Suffers?

The first world countries will have to export goods from the third world countries to fuel their increasing demand for energy. The third world countries are usually tropical ones located near the equator, hence a higher crop growth of corn, and all those needed to manufacture bio-fuel; but for these countries corn is food, so is sugar cane. For the first world to survive the t poorer countries must either starve in hunger or break their back working to be able to afford the price hikes of the most basic of all commodities: food.

A Compromise

So what should we do? We need to address the problems of the environment and pollution, but it is also not right that to solve a problem we must create one. Think about it if the agricultural countries go into decline because its people can’t afford food then who will till the land to supply the giants with endless bio-fuel?

Sustainable energy is geared to sustain life, not make it harder. A proposal is in order. Since the crops needed for the production of bio-fuel can only survive in tropical countries then the governments of the more well off countries will have to invest in the agricultural countries to supply their own demand. These crops must be independent from those for local consumers. Stringent rules governing pricing and distribution must be implemented to further protect the source of the energy.

Sustainable power means the world working hand in hand to create a better way of life for the future. The road to betterment is paved with hard work and dedication. The ancient Egyptian used sails to go up and down the Nile; they were patient and they reached their destination. Let us all be patient but diligent in our quest for sustainable power to sustain life.

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With so much talk about environmental damage, dwindling fossil fuels, and sky rocketing oil and energy prices it is now clear that we must look for alternative energy resources that will be able to supply our endless needs without the possibility of it being exhausted.

A Brief Lesson in History

A sustainable energy source since ancient times, the power of the wind has been harnessed by sailors, farmer, and architects alike. In times long gone, from 5,000 years ago and rediscovered again today the Egyptians used wind power to propel their sailing vessels, and Babylonian architects use architectural designs to make use of the wind to ventilate their palace and temple complexes.

As early as 300 B.C. the Sinhalese bygones used monsoon winds to power their furnaces. Constructed right where monsoon winds pass the furnaces were powered up to 1100 to 1200 centigrade. In the 1st century AD the first ever primitively built windmill was used to power an organ. Later during the 7th century the first and most primary windmill was built in Afghanistan in a small town called Sistan. The Windmill has a vertical axle with blades shaped like a rectangle and with a long driveshaft. In the 1100’s wind mills were built to grind flour, for sugar manufacturing and the gristmilling industries. The Dutch built windmills that stand until this day.

Beneath Power Is Wind

The Sun unevenly heats the Earth that differences of heat distribution; the poles receive less than the equators do. Unlike the land, the oceans, seas and rivers do not have covering so it retains more heat than soil. This contrast results in a global atmospheric convection that reaches from the stratosphere and into the earth’s surface. Energy in these wind movements are stored at high altitudes where in the wind can achieve speeds up to 160km/hr. Here after with the effects of friction the wind’s energy is diffused into heat throughout the planet and its atmosphere. This vast amount of sustainable power can provide us unimaginable amounts of energy, far more than we currently consume.

Wind Speed Distribution

Wind varies in strength. The average value of a certain location does not specify the energy of a single wind turbine. The wind speed’s frequency can be assessed in a particular location, they are fitted by a probable distribution function to the particular observed data. Different wind distributions varies from different locations, hourly wind speeds at different locations are being monitored by the Rayleigh model, which basically means a continuous probability distribution which was named after Lord Rayleigh.

Electrical Generation

Using the power of electricity from a wind farm is usually fed through a network of electrical power transmissions. This is done by connecting the individual turbines with a medium voltage power system and a series of communications networks. The electrical current is then increased with a transformer to be able to connect to the high voltage transmitting system. System operators supplies the wind farm owner with a code that indicates requirements to be able to connect to the transmission grid which includes the power factor, the constancy of the frequency and the behavior of the wind turbines when experiencing system faults.

Now that we know that the speed of wind is not constant, a farm’s energy production is not as much as the sum of the nameplate rating being multiplied by the year’s total hours being used. The ratio of this productivity in a whole year is called the capacity factor. This is the ratio of productivity in a year to this theoretical maximum.

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What happens when the oil prices and production costs get too high? What if our fossil fuel supply runs out? What will happen then? Actually, to fully appreciate sustainable power, these aren’t the only questions we should ask. Perhaps we should inquire: Where does 20% of our electricity supply come from? How are far off towns furnished with power? You see sustainable energy is not just for the future, it is here, it is now.

The Real Deal

The thing about sustainable energy is that it arouses debates from politicians, NGO’s, advocates and opponents all have certain grounds for saying that sustainable works or is a bad thing after all. Perhaps we should begin by defining what sustainable power is. When we say sustain it means to support, uphold, to keep from falling. So when we say sustainable power it means energy with unending resources. In the case of today sustainable energy means endless resources fro power supply without the harmful effects on the environment.

Its Not Sustainable It’s the Alternate

In all reality it is not sustainable energy that precipitates the conflict. It is the “alternate source” of energy that is the root of all things that create conflict. A lot of people argue that alternate energy resources are simply too new a resource fuelled by technology for it to be really said that it is indeed safe.

What is more, some authorized people on the matter of energy say that alternate energy resources are simply not powerful enough to cope with the demands of the world. No matter which way we argue alternate energy resources are part of sustainable power and sustainable power means we live the humans live on as a species; were not supposed to die or else it is useless for use to look for ways to improve ourselves. After all isn’t future the reason for our continued quest to be better and more environmentally aware?

Its Here, There, Everywhere

Alternate energy resources derived naturally have been employed as early as the time of the pharaohs. Today alternate energy resources are scattered all around the world. From the richest countries to the third world nations. In northwester Europe wind farms are abundant. The Philippines, New Zealand, Kenya, Iceland, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Mexico, and even the states make use of geothermal plants to supply a portion of their electricity. Hydropower so popular in the US and in china are used to generate enough electricity to power small towns and help power the enormous electrical consumption of a city like Las Vegas.

Its Now and It Can’t Be Denied

If you think that earth is already polluted and in peril, then imagine what if thousands of years ago our ancestors all used fossil fuels and burned coals for every energy need they have? History says that with every development and discovery man makes, the earth gets polluted every day. So there must have been that one thing that slowed it down a bit.

Remember the great smog of London where over 8,000 people died? Well that happened because they were experiencing unusually cold weather so they in turn consumed and lit up more coals, thereby fogging the air with smog. If alternate energy resources were never used we wouldn’t even be here today. So be thankful and be a supporter not only in words but in action as well.

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By Jason Livingston-the operator of www.GreenLivingRocks.com where you can learn how to build solar panel, construct a homemade windmill, and begin living green.

It seems like the recognition of using solar power is rising every day.  And people are becoming more interested in how they can add solar energy to their lifestyle in inexpensive ways.  That is why solar panel kits are now available for a wide variety of solar applications.  Here are a few of the solar panel kits that you can obtain.

One of the most reasonably priced kinds of solar panel kits to buy is a 45 watt model, for around $200.  It is sizeable enough to run common home electronic equipment, like T.V.s and computers, and even to power lighting.  It will even charge a 12v battery so you can store its electricity for use at night.  The equipment is now advanced enough that the PV cells can generate electricity even on gloomy days.  And its little size (about 36inches square) makes it straightforward to find a suitable location.  Kits typically include the panel or panels, mounting hardware and wiring.  A few kits may include an inverter; otherwise you will have to buy that separately.

Other kits develop on that fundamental concept of assembling the panels, mounting hardware and wiring for more specific applications. For instance, solar kits for power boats may include solar panels, and array and mounting hardware that is made from stainless steel or other materials that survive exposure to salt water.  They may also include tracking apparatus that will position the panels according to the sun’s location.

Kits intended for cabins may consist of the basic solar panels and wiring.  But they may use a shaft mounted array and hardware so that the panels can be positioned in a clearing away from foliage.  And the kits might additionally include a battery back up system for cabins that will be off the grid.

Solar panel kits designed for R.V.s start with a simple set up that provides basic power for lights and trickle charging the battery.  Yet luxury RVs that contain a lot of electrical equipment, ranging from built-in global positiong to home theater systems, might need a system as complicated and complex as an off grid home.  And there are kits available for these extremes as well as many RV requirements in between

There seems to be a kit available for very nearly any solar panel you can think of for home-based, commercial or recreational use.  The best way to acquire them is to hunt online.  And the best way to pick one is to compare their features and customer service.

LCD TV technology is build upon on the concept of liquid crystal display, now used as the world’s most popular flat-screen technology. An LCD contains a pair of transparent surfaces. Grooves are cut into these and filled with liquid crystal. By use of transistors, electric current is applied to the liquid, thus twisting the crystal in what would become known as the “twisting nomadic field effect.” The process of twisting and untwisting the crystal blocks light to the given territory of the LCD TV display. In effect, the moving crystals are creating the colors moving around on your LCD TV, creating the LCD TV image.

While the prices of these LCD televisions are still quite a bit higher than traditional CRT (cathode ray tube) models, consumers do get a number of important advantages for this extra outlay of cash. Some of the most significant benefits of the new LCD TV technology include:

Higher resolution: LCD TV screen consists of millions of tiny square horizontally and vertically called pixels. Even if you don’t bother about details, one look at the LCD TV’s ability to render quality images will make you like with it.

Clearer and brighter picture: Thanks to the flat screen of LCD TV rather than a curved one of a normal CRT’s, it can give you clear, bright and vibrant picture. Normal CRTs don’t work well in bright room and gives you a blurry look. Not with LCD TV. LCD TVs have backlights that give more light.

Slim and saves space: All credit goes to the Liquid Crystal Display system of the TV which takes no space at all. It’s time for the old model TV which has an odd bump at the rear to get replaced by the new and strong LCD TV.
Viewing angle got better: Heard anything about bad viewing angle of LCD TV? Old news! The latest groups of LCD TVs of famous brands are going head to head with other types of latest technology based TV.

Consumes less power and saves money : According to numerous tests, a LCD TV uses nearly 50% less energy than a Plasma or CRT. No eyestrain- Remember your parents used to say- don’t watch TV for too long, your eyes will get flaw . Unlike old CRTs, LCD TVs don’t flicker leaving your eyes unhurt.
HDTV compatibility: New LCD TVs are compatible with High Definition TV broadcast and gives a big edge over old CRTs.

ECO friendly: Now the LCD manufacturing Electronics companies are producing TVs that are certified as “low emission” units. These units are substantially low in electric and magnetic field emissions.
Value for money: The fierce competition has pulled the price of LCD TV down and made the manufacturers install many new and exciting features. Many experts tend to give a perfect 10 to LCD TVs now.

The prices of LCD televisions will vary quite a bit reliance on the size of the display, the quality of the display, the resolution of the screen, the brand name of the television and a number of other factors.

For father information about LCD and other electronic product such as Air Conditioner, Refrigerator, DVD, Showcase,ect please visit us at www.tenar-elektronik.com we will be great full to help you.

LCD TV technology is build upon on the concept of liquid crystal display, now used as the world’s most popular flat-screen technology. An LCD contains a pair of transparent surfaces. Grooves are cut into these and filled with liquid crystal. By use of transistors, electric current is applied to the liquid, thus twisting the crystal in what would become known as the “twisting nomadic field effect.” The process of twisting and untwisting the crystal blocks light to the given territory of the LCD TV display. In effect, the moving crystals are creating the colors moving around on your LCD TV, creating the LCD TV image.

While the prices of these LCD televisions are still quite a bit higher than traditional CRT (cathode ray tube) models, consumers do get a number of important advantages for this extra outlay of cash. Some of the most significant benefits of the new LCD TV technology include:

Higher resolution: LCD TV screen consists of millions of tiny square horizontally and vertically called pixels. Even if you don’t bother about details, one look at the LCD TV’s ability to render quality images will make you like with it.

Clearer and brighter picture: Thanks to the flat screen of LCD TV rather than a curved one of a normal CRT’s, it can give you clear, bright and vibrant picture. Normal CRTs don’t work well in bright room and gives you a blurry look. Not with LCD TV. LCD TVs have backlights that give more light.

Slim and saves space: All credit goes to the Liquid Crystal Display system of the TV which takes no space at all. It’s time for the old model TV which has an odd bump at the rear to get replaced by the new and strong LCD TV.
Viewing angle got better: Heard anything about bad viewing angle of LCD TV? Old news! The latest groups of LCD TVs of famous brands are going head to head with other types of latest technology based TV.

Consumes less power and saves money : According to numerous tests, a LCD TV uses nearly 50% less energy than a Plasma or CRT. No eyestrain- Remember your parents used to say- don’t watch TV for too long, your eyes will get flaw . Unlike old CRTs, LCD TVs don’t flicker leaving your eyes unhurt.
HDTV compatibility: New LCD TVs are compatible with High Definition TV broadcast and gives a big edge over old CRTs.

ECO friendly: Now the LCD manufacturing Electronics companies are producing TVs that are certified as “low emission” units. These units are substantially low in electric and magnetic field emissions.
Value for money: The fierce competition has pulled the price of LCD TV down and made the manufacturers install many new and exciting features. Many experts tend to give a perfect 10 to LCD TVs now.

The prices of LCD televisions will vary quite a bit reliance on the size of the display, the quality of the display, the resolution of the screen, the brand name of the television and a number of other factors.

For father information about LCD and other electronic product such as Air Conditioner, Refrigerator, DVD, Showcase,ect please visit us at www.tenar-elektronik.com we will be great full to help you.

Energy costs are enough to drive one crazy. Are you tired of paying for electric bills that can eat up to a whole pay check each and every month? How would you like to put that money to some good use, maybe a well deserved vacation or perhaps pay off that mortgage loan you took for your home twice as fast? If you do then you would certainly want to learn how to build solar panels, slash your electric bills …… reduce the dependence on commercially sold electricity…. And save heaps!

Windmills and solar panels are proving to be a reliable source of energy for homes and commercial buildings. Due to the expansion in technology these systems are becoming cheaper and cheaper day by day. A commercially sold solar panel can cost up to thousands of dollars. The same solar panels with much better power efficiency can be made very easily and cheaply by you on your own for a fraction of the cost of a commercially sold solar power system.

Once you build solar panels on your own and install them to generate power for your home it is certainly possible that you can go off the grid completely and possibly sell back the extra energy produced to the utility company. Now how is that for a change? How would you like to get a check back from the utility company for a change! This is made possible when the extra, unused power is transferred back to the grid through the electric meter, causing it to spin backwards.

A lot of different plans are available when it comes to generating solar energy, but when it comes to learning how to build solar panels the key component involved is the small photovoltaic (pv) cells that transforms the sun light into utilizable electricity for residential use. Many photovoltaic cells are out together in solar panels and connected to one another to build solar panels of varying sizes.

The sun light captured by the solar panels is converted in to direct current (DC) and a battery is used to store it. The Direct current (DC voltage) is than converted in to Alternating current (AC voltage). A battery is used to convert direct current (Direct voltage) into alternating current (DC voltage). A battery is used to store the extra power, thus increasing the usefulness of the installed solar panels. This is also useful as the stored solar power can be used during non producing hours or when the sun is not shining. This will lead to decreased dependence on commercially sold electricity.

It’s no rocket science to learn how to build solar panels on your own. It’s imperative that you get your hands on a good DIY guide that will teach you every aspect of building solar panels. Go ahead and learn how to build your own solar panels and stop paying for electricity.

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The natural burial eco-trend reaches Montana
by Skylar Browning and R.C. Hooker

R.C. Hooker’s letter arrived at the Independent among the usual stack of press releases, letters to the editor and junk mail. In it, the Somers resident suggested a story idea that he thought might interest readers: a look at the current eco-trend toward green burials. In other words, burials that avoid the traditional metal casket, tombstone, vault and chemical-laden embalming process, and instead allow people to transition naturally back to the earth.

“Nearly everyone has a set of principles by which they live, but how many would be willing to die with them?” his letter started. “Natural interment, it would appear, represents the epitome of personal conviction: You live green; you die green. But is such an alternative possible in Montana?”

Hooker’s letter went on to answer its own question. In June, a family living in the Swan Valley had opened the state’s first all-natural cemetery. The bucolic “corpse garden” encompasses 120 acres of prime wildlife habitat just west of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and is surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land. After researching the various legal ramifications, the family decided the best way to preserve its land for future generations was to create a natural cemetery.

Hooker thought people should know about it. He thought the Independent was the best outlet to tell them. Then he offered a slight twist.

“Three weeks ago I discovered that I have pancreatic cancer and have less than six months to live. In fact, I recently visited the land to pick out my own personal site. I will be the cemetery’s first customer,” he wrote. “My biodegradable pine box is already on order.”

About 90 minutes north of Missoula, just past Lion Creek Road on Route 83, there’s a turnoff for Natural Cemeteries. A long dirt road travels east into the woods, crosses a small wooden bridge and ends at the log home belonging to Henry and Joan Meyer.

In 1951, the Meyers decided to leave their native New Jersey, elope, and seek out “the wildest and woolliest place there was.” Their first inclination was to head to Alaska, but the Korean War was in full swing and the draft board nixed the idea; Alaska wasn’t yet a state. The young couple chose the Swan Valley instead, and purchased 200 acres from the local sawmill owner for $25 an acre.

“When we first bought it, the guys at the sawmill all told us we was robbed,” says Henry, now 79. “Can you believe that? I didn’t know. I thought they might be right.”

Henry recalls the family history with verve, as if he’s told these stories before and never gets tired of hitting the inflections—”we was robbed”—just right. His short gray hair and beard belie his infectious enthusiasm and smile. He’s clearly proud to talk about his life and how he and Joan literally built it off the land.

“When I first came here, I couldn’t tell one tree from another,” he says. “I didn’t even know anything about building, and I had to build a house, you know. It was all timber and lodge pole, and I just selected the best trees I could. I drug ‘em in with a block and tackle. I packed the sand and the gravel for the concrete piers out of the creek and mixed it in the washtub. Slowly but surely, we figured it out and built it up.”

The Meyers’ home hasn’t changed much since the ’50s. They added electricity when it reached the Swan, and indoor plumbing only after their four children moved out. They logged the land selectively, using real horsepower, and replanted the forest for sustainability. They continue to drink directly from Lion Creek, which runs past the back of the cabin, and they hunt in their own front yard. With the exception of a brief stint in the Army—Henry, sure enough, was drafted right after reaching Montana—and the couple’s annual winter camping trips to an unnamed beach in Baja, they’ve lived off the property and learned to be good stewards of the land.

“We never got rich and we were never going to be rich,” Henry says. “The land was our wealth.”

In fact, land in the Swan Valley became incredibly valuable. Among the changes the Meyers have witnessed over the years, none compares to the region’s sprawling development.

“It started when they put in the road,” says Joan, also 79, referring to Route 83. “That changed everything, and in a good way. We like it. But it also opened up the area to more people.”

“More recently, a whole heck of a lot of those people have been moving in from all over” adds Henry, “and I guess some of them have some money, so that makes a big difference.”
Illustration by John Overmyer

* Illustration by John Overmyer

The constant threat of more development in the Swan is part of the reason Henry and Joan, with the help of their son, Peter, decided to create Natural Cemeteries. The family explored conservation easements and other traditional avenues of preserving the land, but was skeptical of loopholes and wanted more personal control. By creating a nonprofit natural cemetery, they could make the property untouchable forever—and ensure that Henry and Joan were buried on the land in which they’ve lived for nearly 60 years.

“I belong here,” says Henry. “I don’t want to be buried in town. I want to be buried right here on my own land. I looked into that and found that most anybody can be buried on their own land without much restrictions, but there’s no assurance that you’ll stay there. There’s no guarantee that someone won’t come along and build a septic tank right there on top of you. They can dig you up at any time. I thought about that and, with all the development happening now, I thought, ‘Gee, well that don’t sound real good.’

“So I looked into it a little deeper,” he continues, “and found that if you want to be protected, you have to establish your own official cemetery. We decided to give it a try.”

Once R.C. Hooker received his terminal diagnosis, the self-described “consummate nihilist” started to research his own burial options. He didn’t find many.

Since the late 19th century, most people have chosen to be buried in a traditional ceremony that requires many costly, resource-intensive components. Coffins are usually made of steel or exotic wood. Most cemeteries require coffins be placed in a concrete vault, which ensures that the carefully manicured grounds don’t collapse. Elaborate headstones, statues and mausoleums help decorate those manicured grounds. And before a body even reaches the ground, embalming fluid, which is mostly carcinogenic formaldehyde, helps preserve the body.

The Green Burial Council, an independent nonprofit organization based in New Mexico, estimates traditional burials in the United States contribute to a staggering amount of waste. Specifically, 30 million board feet of casket wood, 1.6 million tons of concrete in burial vaults, more than 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid—or enough to fill an Olympic-sized pool—and 90,000 tons of steel from caskets end up in the ground every year.

The waste doesn’t even begin to address the immense cost of burying it all. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average funeral runs $7,323. That price includes a basic service fee ($1,595), removal/transfer of the body ($233), embalming and other body preparations ($753), a viewing and ceremony ($869), use of a hearse ($251), a metal casket ($2,255) and a vault ($1,128), as well as other small charges. That cost, of course, can rise exponentially for more elegant accommodations like a hardwood coffin, especially if it’s made of an exotic wood from a tropical location.

“Sorry, but hardwood or soft, exotic or common, it is an absolute travesty to see it all end up buried in the ground,” says Hooker, 64. “It is a senseless waste.”

Hooker then looked into cremation, but that popular alternative to traditional burial still creates a sizable carbon footprint. According to Slate.com, a typical incinerator requires about 2,000 cubic feet of natural gas and 4 kilowatt-hours electricity per body. That means the average cremation produces roughly 250 pounds of CO2 equivalent, or about as much as a typical American home generates in six days. Hooker wasn’t sold and kept looking.

He wanted something that made sense and fit his lifestyle. Before moving west, Hooker worked as the editor of an outdoor magazine in Pennsylvania and often gave lectures about the importance of conservation. In Montana, he continued to write as a freelancer mostly about the outdoors and the environment. He figured there had to be a more natural burial option. Wasn’t death, after all, a natural thing?

His search led to a lot of information on the history of burials. There was the introduction of the term “ritual burial,” during the Upper Paleolithic times, when artifacts were first placed with the deceased for use in the afterlife. There was the Dark Age, when the ecclesiastical elite, motivated by fear of eternal damnation, wanted to plant themselves in a consecrated cemetery. Then there were those who wanted to separate themselves from the riffraff within those consecrated cemeteries, and built lavish vaults and sepulchers.
Illustration by John Overmyer

* Illustration by John Overmyer

Other cultures followed different rituals. The Parsi, who live primarily in Mumbai, India, believed that the proper way to deal with the dead was to expose them on specially built towers called dokhmas, or “Towers of Silence.” Vultures were then free to eat away. Interestingly, problems started when the vultures themselves began dying. Forensics showed the dead birds contained lethal levels of Diclofenac, an arthritis drug used by humans that remained in the system and caused kidney failure in the birds.

“What happened to the Parsi is happening to the modern cemetery of today,” Hooker says, referring to the waste being buried and its impact on the environment.

Hooker eventually found Natural Cemeteries through “the green grapevine,” an informal assembly of Montana friends whose part-time avocation is de-carbonizing the size of their footprint. The idea of naturally returning to the earth—no chemicals, no fancy casket, no excess waste—immediately appealed to him.

“The woods have always been my own personal salutarium, especially when I was young,” he says. “I was happiest alone, too, because the woods represented not an escape from, but rather an escape to a better world.”

Hooker’s not alone in shunning a traditional burial. Funeral homes across the country are beginning to embrace eco-friendly alternatives. The Green Burial Council, which helps certify businesses that meet certain green standards, approved of just 12 businesses a year ago. Now, more than 300 green burial providers are listed through the council.

“Death is the last taboo, really,” says Joe Sehee, founder and executive director of the Green Burial Council. “But green burial is something people can actually wrap their head around. It’s a concept—returning to the earth, naturally—that they understand and are willing to talk about. It’s moving into the mainstream quicker than anyone thought.”

Bozeman’s Dahl Funeral Home applied for certification with the Green Burial Council less than a year ago and is the only approved Montana provider. (Natural Cemeteries has consulted with the council, according to Sehee, but has not applied for certification.) Irene Dahl, a third generation funeral director, explored green burials because she wanted to offer families a new alternative.

“It’s sort of an educational tool at this point,” she says. “A lot of people are curious. Some people will come in and say that they want cremation because it’s the most natural way to go, and I can point out that, actually, there’s another option.”

Dahl can offer green burials because her funeral home uses Sunset Hill Cemetery, which is owned by the city of Bozeman and is one of the few public cemeteries that don’t require the use of a vault. A local store provides biodegradable caskets. Embalming, Dahl adds, is also not required by law; bodies are simply refrigerated before burial. She estimates that a bare-bones natural burial could cost, roughly, between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the type of service and casket.

“It’s progress, not perfection,” says Dahl of the green burial she offers. “If it were perfection, you wouldn’t have to drive a hearse to the cemetery, there would be a pesticide-free section of the grounds and the gravestones would be natural rocks. It’s a positive step, but we’re hoping to offer even more in the future. All of this is still in the beginning stages.”
Illustration by John Overmyer

* Illustration by John Overmyer

The Meyers understand growing pains. As Peter and Henry walk the grounds of Natural Cemeteries, they tell more stories of the land and their attempt to bury people in it. On a ridge that overlooks the Meyers’ log cabin and two neighboring barns, as well as the surrounding valley, Henry points to his gravesite, marked by a simple metal corner stake.

“I can see the mess I made just perfectly from here,” he jokes. “This was always my spot.”

Joan’s site is directly next to Henry’s. Federal law requires that both she and Henry pay for their own sites, just as anyone else would. Stakes for two other customers—the Meyers say 10 people, so far, have signed up to be buried at Natural Cemeteries—have been set up farther down the ridge. R.C. Hooker is still expected to be the first person actually placed into the ground.

“It’s nice to finally see it taking shape,” says Henry. “It was a hell of a mess setting the thing up, but we made it.”

The mess came from the fact that no other natural cemetery exists in the state. Unlike Dahl Funeral Home, which simply added natural burials to its established offerings, the Meyers needed to start from scratch—and had no model to follow. Peter jokes that he couldn’t even find a copy of Building Cemeteries for Dummies at the bookstore.

“We pretty much wrote the rules for natural cemeteries in Montana,” says Peter, 49, who handles most of the nonprofit’s logistics. “We didn’t really have a choice.”

Peter says the family worked through county, state and federal agencies for nearly four years to gain the necessary approvals. They achieved official nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2006. Peter says he checked with the state’s Board of Funeral Service on state regulations. (The cemetery isn’t licensed with the state, but according to annotated code 37-19-803, private nonprofit cemeteries are exempt.) Peter also presented the cemetery’s mission and goals to the Board of Lake County Commissioners, which is responsible for maintaining records of burials on the site.

“Everything was fine,” says Commissioner Paddy Trussler. “Other than the records, there’s not much we’re involved in.”

The only hang-up, according to Peter, was that nobody knew how to define a natural cemetery. In one comical go-around, the IRS needed to know what criteria Natural Cemeteries had to be compliant about so that it could ensure compliance—and it was up to Natural Cemeteries to provide the criteria.

“Everyone who asked,” says Peter, “we just repeated our mission statement: ‘Live and die in harmony with nature. A green burial takes place in a forest environment using earth’s natural process to recycle human remains in a way that harmonizes with nature. A multiple use concept will be used to provide a restful place to meditate and observe nature. A green burial encourages biodegradable materials and encourages the planting of trees and shrubs’…We got a lot of ‘yeses’ and a lot of ‘nos’ and we just kept at it until we figured it out.”

Since the cemetery is a nonprofit organization, customers are considered “members” and payments for “sites”—not plots—are considered “donations.” The sites, which can be reserved for $500, are confirmed with specific GPS coordinates. Burial costs—known as “opening and closing”—add an additional $1,000. By law, 15 percent of every donation goes into a perpetual trust fund, which ensures the future maintenance of the cemetery. The cemetery’s bylaws map out the long-term stewardship of the site. A board of directors, which is comprised of Henry, Joan, Peter and Peter’s son, Mike Matola, runs the operation.

“We’ll keep it in the family for as many generations as possible,” says Peter. “If, for some reason, that’s no longer possible, it’ll go to the community, or the state of Montana, or the federal government. But no matter what, it’ll always remain as a natural cemetery.”

Natural Cemeteries encourages its members to enhance the surroundings by planting a tree or natural shrub near the grave. Natural rocks can also mark a site. The idea is not only to maintain the land’s current character, but to make it even more wild.

“We don’t just want it to look like it does today forever,” says Peter. “We want it to look like it did 100 years ago, before anyone even knew it was here.”
Illustration by John Overmyer

* Illustration by John Overmyer

The Meyers don’t refer to themselves as religious. Peter prefers to say they’re “spiritual.” But Henry admits that he’s been reading about religion more recently, mostly because he expects to be asked about it. Standing at his future gravesite, he articulates how the cemetery lines up with his personal beliefs.

“I read that one of God’s purposes for the earth was to create a paradise for man to live in,” he says. “We want to have this place be part of that. We don’t want to do something that’s contrary to that concept. When you live in the Swan, you already live closer to nature than the people who live in the city. You get a feeling of what nature wants and what nature has, and how to live within that. All we want is for nature to do her own thing.”

When R.C. Hooker first wrote to the Independent, he weighed 170 pounds. Now, he’s under 130 and refers to himself as “the anatomy lesson.” His once-healthy complexion has turned a mossy green and he tires quickly. Talking on the phone is difficult. Nevertheless, he still expresses excitement about his decision to go with a green burial.

Earlier this summer, he received his custom-made casket. A friend, Steve Wingard, who is known for his traditional Ojibwa and Cree berry baskets, agreed to make the box. It was constructed with white birch and Wingard didn’t use any stain, oil or polyurethane coating, which gives it a high coefficient of degradability. Wingard also used a simple white glue and, where reinforcement was needed, he chose uncoated steel nails that will rust quickly. He wove the handles with hemp rope, leaving the bore holes open to enhance and accelerate the breakdown of cell tissue post-mortem. All together, Wingard spent $110 on materials and approximately 11 hours of labor to make it. He only charged Hooker for the materials.

Hooker also paid Natural Cemeteries for his site, in cash. The spot overlooks an open meadow on the south side of the cemetery and is situated next to an enormous natural rock. Including his membership, opening and closing costs, natural rock headstone and the casket, Hooker paid a total of $1,960 for his burial—a steal compared to a traditional burial, but not an insignificant sum for a “rural rube.”

“This money represented my entire financial estate, my life savings,” he says. “That it should speak volumes about my life is apparent—if I die with a dollar in my pocket, it’s a dollar I wasted. Money was never a means nor an end. I had the freedom that only poverty could afford and my most important possession no matter where I lived was my library card. So from a purely nickel-and-dime point of view, my burial made sense.”

His reasoning, of course, goes beyond just money. Hooker talks openly about dying a heroic death—defending a fair maiden, fighting for justice or “maybe just the everyday slaying of windmills.” This isn’t that; not exactly.

“My degree in philosophy, of course, has helped immeasurably, having been a personal asset, yet a social liability,” he says. “In this, the end, it provides the necessary solace to finish the journey with more than a sense of dignity, but also with a sense of triumph.”

That triumph comes in the form of reincarnation. He’ll return to the earth, give something back, not just die.

“The point is that I am, at this very late stage of the game, willing to grow on spiritual lines, ready to reconsider all avenues, even reincarnation,” he says. “Too late? Maybe. But as an active participant in the natural burial movement, I have made a lasting commitment to principle. If I am lucky, my carbon footprint may even disappear all together.”

R.C. Hooker and Skylar Browning collaborated on the final draft of this article. Hooker can be reached directly at rc_hooker@yahoo.com. He invites those curious about natural burial to attend his service at Natural Cemeteries. Browning can be reached at sbrowing@missoulanews.com.

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