All posts tagged: casket

Terminally ill woman invited friends to make a casket : NPR

Terminally ill woman invited friends to make a casket : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

MaddyChristine Hope Brokopp weaves the bottom of a burial tray. Brokopp enlisted her friends to weave her tray after a cancer diagnosis. Nic Neves hide caption toggle caption Nic Neves When MaddyChristine Hope Brokopp received her terminal cancer diagnosis, one thing she was sure about was that she wanted to make her own casket. Brokopp is in her 50s. She’s undergoing treatment for her cancer, but it’s not clear how much time she has. An online search turned up an artisan in Massachusetts who could help her realize her dream — and even bring along some friends to do it with her. The artisan in question, Mary Lauren Fraser, is a casket weaver. Winter is still in full swing on Valentine’s Day in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley when Brokopp and her friends make the road trip from Pennsylvania. They park their caravan of cars on the packed snow outside Fraser’s workshop, at the border of the tree line. Fraser welcomes them with a kettle of peppermint tea, and shows them around the space where they’ll spend …

Cremation or casket? Here’s the most eco-friendly burial option.

Cremation or casket? Here’s the most eco-friendly burial option.

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Most of us try to be responsible global citizens while we’re alive. We sort recyclables. We avoid fast fashion. We try to be good sports as we sip from soggy paper straws. After a lifetime of trying to put things in the right bin, we eventually arrive at the ultimate recycling dilemma: what to do with our bodies after we die. And with several new “eco-friendly” body disposition methods now available, it’s almost enough to cause decision fatigue. So what is the most environmentally friendly option for handling human remains? Despite all the new technology, experts say there’s one clear answer, and it’s surprisingly old-school. “If what you’re looking for is to leave the planet as responsibly as you can, natural burial is your only option,” says Lee Webster, a speaker, author, educator, and former president of Green Burial Council International. “Everybody wants something shiny, new and exciting, but the simplest solution is usually the best.” Breaking down the most common …