Greener Ways to the Great Beyond

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Lyons predicts green and home burials will increase if information about them becomes more widely available. "Most people in this country don't know they have the legal right to care for their own loved ones when they die," she says.

The organization's Web site includes interviews with people who have planned their own funerals and photographs of burials, along with resource information. Death midwife Jerri Lyons sits with Jasmine during her threeday wake, which was held in a friend's home overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Carlson cautions persons who choose to handle death privately to "take great care to follow all state and local regulations. The requirements are not complex, but failure to meet them can lead to unpleasant situations and create a climate in which professionals become less willing to work with families."

In her book, she explains the precision needed in filling out a death certificate, required by every state, and she reports situations where special death certificates are required, including fetal deaths and those that require an autopsy. She notes that special circumstances, such as an extended time between death and disposition, may make embalming necessary, but refrigeration or dry ice can take the place of embalming in many instances. She also warns readers to "never move a body without a permit or medical permission."

Home burials require an examination of local zoning ordinances, says Carlson. "For those with land in rural or semi-rural areas, home burials usually are possible."

REMEMBER

Even if you use a conventional funeral home and cemetery, be aware that embalming, expensive caskets and concrete vaults generally are not required by law. Cemeteries may set such requirements, and waive them if they choose. So, if you want a simpler burial, ask around. You may find a funeral home and cemetery that suits your needs.

If you are thinking about handling a funeral yourself, you should know that most states clearly allow families to care for their own dead, according to Lisa Carlson, author of Caring for the Dead:Your Final Act of Love. Only six states may limit families who want to take charge of the process: Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan (thanks to an uncooperative health department despite a law that says otherwise), Nebraska and New York. For more details, read Caring for the Dead, or contact Carlson at www.funerals.org. If you don't hire a funeral director, here are some things you should know:

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