Joined: 1/12/2009
Posts: 1
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There is no dispute to the fact that the World populace is aging. The
impact of the Baby Boomer generation, as it’s called (loosely described
as the postwar generation born between 1945 and 1965), is a huge
demographic that by some estimates could be as many as 80 million people
in the US alone. Western Europe, TheMediterranean region, Russia and all
of Asia recognized significant post war population booms resulting in
worldwide population gains we may not see again. Regardless of our
current middle-eastern morass, major wars are all but gone and pandemic
diseases are becoming more rare. By shear numbers, it is small wonder
that this “generation” has made some of the most significant
contributions to our country, our culture and disputably, our world,
human kind has ever seen. This kind of influence contributes to every
corner of our lives from music, art, technology and government…the list
is almost endless.
Shooting off of the meteoric growth driven by this and successive
generations has come a broad based drive toward materialism and the
flotsam and detritus which it ultimately became the basis for our
current environmental movement. Along with all the gains of this
generation is a singular issue that has come to the forefront during the
boomers time it is the environment and our relationship with it. Growing
consumerism blended with technology to further corrupt our world with
chemicals, trash and heavy metals have brought home the fact that we
have limited space and time related to saving the earth from her
dominant specie.
While progress is made on the environmental front with the development
of electric hybrid cars, clean coal, wind and solar energy...the passing
of time and the growing age of this generation, becomes nemesis to the
cause. Once this massive group of humanity start to pass from this
world, their desire to "leave the earth better than they found it" may
be mildly reversed by their own remains. Rising concerns connected to
our impact on the environment extends beyond life; including how our
death impacts the environment. With land at a premium and questions
about the effects on the environment from embalming chemicals and
treated materials in caskets, traditional burial has a questionable future.
Because of these epiphanies, Baby boomers are choosing cremation at an
ever increasing rate. The National Funeral Association quotes numbers
like nearly 35% already choosing cremation nationwide, with western
states like Oregon, California, Washington and Hawaii choosing cremation
at a rate approaching 65%.
With the growth of families choosing cremation, choices for how to keep
the ash remains have expanded exponentially. Replacing the family plot
concept associated with traditional burial isn’t easy, but Artists are
creating alternatives by offering families a range of methods for both
family and personal memorials. Memorial Art Urns are becoming a common
choice offering color and shapes that traditional urns don't. For some
examples of art memorials goto http://www.memorialglasskeepsake.com or
http://livingstonesunlimited.com
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