Alkaline hydrolysis: yes or no?

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:

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.

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