When I die, recompose me
-
0:01 - 0:04My name is Katrina Spade,
and I grew up in a medical family -
0:04 - 0:08where it was fairly normal to talk
about death and dying at the dinner table. -
0:09 - 0:13But I didn't go into medicine
like so many of my family members. -
0:13 - 0:17Instead, I went to architecture school
to learn how to design. -
0:18 - 0:20And while I was there,
I began to be curious -
0:20 - 0:24about what would happen
to my physical body after I died. -
0:24 - 0:27What would my nearest
and dearest do with me? -
0:28 - 0:32So if the existence
and the fact of your own mortality -
0:32 - 0:33doesn't get you down,
-
0:33 - 0:37the state of our current
funerary practices will. -
0:38 - 0:43Today, almost 50 percent of Americans
choose conventional burial. -
0:44 - 0:46Conventional burial begins with embalming,
-
0:46 - 0:49where funeral staff drain bodily fluid
-
0:49 - 0:52and replace it with a mixture
designed to preserve the corpse -
0:53 - 0:55and give it a lifelike glow.
-
0:55 - 0:59Then, as you know,
bodies are buried in a casket -
0:59 - 1:01in a concrete-lined grave
-
1:01 - 1:02in a cemetery.
-
1:04 - 1:07All told, in US cemeteries,
-
1:07 - 1:11we bury enough metal
to build a Golden Gate Bridge, -
1:12 - 1:16enough wood to build
1,800 single family homes, -
1:16 - 1:19and enough formaldehyde-laden
embalming fluid -
1:19 - 1:22to fill eight Olympic-size swimming pools.
-
1:23 - 1:27In addition, cemeteries
all over the world are reaching capacity. -
1:28 - 1:31Turns out, it doesn't really
make good business sense -
1:31 - 1:34to sell someone
a piece of land for eternity. -
1:34 - 1:36(Laughter)
-
1:36 - 1:38Whose idea was that?
-
1:38 - 1:41In some places, you can't buy a plot
no matter how much money you have. -
1:43 - 1:46As a result, cremation rates
have risen fast. -
1:46 - 1:51In 1950, if you suggested your grandmother
be incinerated after she died, -
1:51 - 1:54you'd probably be kicked
from the family deathbed. -
1:55 - 1:58But today, almost half
of Americans choose cremation, -
1:58 - 2:00citing simpler,
-
2:01 - 2:02cheaper
-
2:02 - 2:04and more ecological as reasons.
-
2:06 - 2:10I used to think that cremation
was a sustainable form of disposition, -
2:11 - 2:12but just think about it for a second.
-
2:13 - 2:16Cremation destroys the potential we have
-
2:16 - 2:18to give back to the earth
after we've died. -
2:19 - 2:24It uses an energy-intensive process
to turn bodies into ash, -
2:24 - 2:27polluting the air
and contributing to climate change. -
2:28 - 2:30All told, cremations in the US
-
2:30 - 2:34emit a staggering 600 million
pounds of carbon dioxide -
2:34 - 2:36into the atmosphere annually.
-
2:38 - 2:40The truly awful truth
-
2:40 - 2:44is that the very last thing
that most of us will do on this earth -
2:45 - 2:46is poison it.
-
2:51 - 2:57It's like we've created, accepted
and death-denied our way into a status quo -
2:57 - 3:00that puts as much distance
between ourselves and nature -
3:00 - 3:02as is humanly possible.
-
3:03 - 3:05Our modern funerary practices
are designed to stave off -
3:05 - 3:08the natural processes
that happen to a body after death. -
3:09 - 3:12In other words, they're meant
to prevent us from decomposing. -
3:13 - 3:15But the truth
-
3:15 - 3:18is that nature is really,
really good at death. -
3:19 - 3:21We've all seen it.
-
3:21 - 3:24When organic material dies in nature,
-
3:24 - 3:27microbes and bacteria
break it down into nutrient-rich soil, -
3:27 - 3:29completing the life cycle.
-
3:30 - 3:33In nature, death creates life.
-
3:36 - 3:39Back in architecture school,
I was thinking about all this, -
3:40 - 3:43and I set out on a plan
to redesign death care. -
3:44 - 3:46Could I create a system
-
3:46 - 3:48that was beneficial to the earth
-
3:48 - 3:52and that used nature as a guide
rather than something to be feared? -
3:53 - 3:55Something that was gentle to the planet?
-
3:55 - 3:58That planet, after all,
supports our living bodies -
3:58 - 4:00our whole lives.
-
4:01 - 4:04And while I was mulling this all over
-
4:04 - 4:05over the drawing board,
-
4:06 - 4:07the phone rang.
-
4:08 - 4:09It was my friend Kate.
-
4:10 - 4:13She was like, "Hey,
have you heard about the farmers -
4:13 - 4:16who are composting whole cows?"
-
4:17 - 4:19And I was like, "Mmmm."
-
4:20 - 4:21(Laughter)
-
4:23 - 4:26Turns out that farmers
in agricultural institutions -
4:26 - 4:29have been practicing something
called livestock mortality composting -
4:29 - 4:31for decades.
-
4:31 - 4:35Mortality composting is where
you take an animal high in nitrogen -
4:35 - 4:38and cover it with co-composting materials
that are high in carbon. -
4:38 - 4:41It's an aerobic process,
so it requires oxygen, -
4:41 - 4:44and it requires
plenty of moisture as well. -
4:45 - 4:49In the most basic setup, a cow
is covered with a few feet of wood chips, -
4:49 - 4:51which are high in carbon,
-
4:51 - 4:55and left outside for nature,
for breezes to provide oxygen -
4:55 - 4:57and rain to provide moisture.
-
4:58 - 5:00In about nine months,
-
5:00 - 5:03all that remains
is a nutrient-rich compost. -
5:04 - 5:07The flesh has been decomposed entirely,
-
5:07 - 5:09as have the bones.
-
5:11 - 5:12I know.
-
5:12 - 5:13(Laughter)
-
5:13 - 5:17So I would definitely
call myself a decomposition nerd, -
5:17 - 5:21but I am far, far from a scientist,
-
5:21 - 5:23and one way you can tell this is true
-
5:23 - 5:27is that I have often called
the process of composting "magic." -
5:27 - 5:31(Laughter)
-
5:31 - 5:34So basically, all we humans need to do
-
5:35 - 5:37is create the right environment
for nature to do its job. -
5:38 - 5:42It's like the opposite
of antibacterial soap. -
5:42 - 5:43Instead of fighting them,
-
5:43 - 5:46we welcome microbes and bacteria
in with open arms. -
5:47 - 5:50These tiny, amazing creatures
-
5:50 - 5:54break down molecules
into smaller molecules and atoms, -
5:54 - 5:57which are then incorporated
into new molecules. -
5:58 - 6:02In other words, that cow is transformed.
-
6:02 - 6:04It's no longer a cow.
-
6:04 - 6:06It's been cycled back into nature.
-
6:08 - 6:10See? Magic.
-
6:12 - 6:15You can probably imagine
the light bulb that went off in my head -
6:16 - 6:17after I received that phone call.
-
6:18 - 6:19I began designing a system
-
6:19 - 6:23based on the principles
of livestock mortality composting -
6:23 - 6:27that would take human beings
and transform them into soil. -
6:32 - 6:34Fast-forward five years
-
6:34 - 6:38and the project has grown in ways
I truly never could have imagined. -
6:38 - 6:42We've created a scalable,
replicable non-profit urban model -
6:42 - 6:46based on the science
of livestock mortality composting -
6:46 - 6:48that turns human beings into soil.
-
6:50 - 6:53We've partnered and collaborated
with experts in soil science, -
6:53 - 6:55decomposition, alternative death care,
-
6:56 - 6:57law and architecture.
-
6:58 - 7:00We've raised funds
from foundations and individuals -
7:01 - 7:05in order to design
a prototype of this system, -
7:05 - 7:08and we've heard from tens of thousands
of people all over the world -
7:08 - 7:11who want this option to be available.
-
7:13 - 7:14OK.
-
7:14 - 7:16In the next few years,
-
7:16 - 7:22it's our goal to build the first
full-scale human composting facility -
7:22 - 7:24right in the city of Seattle.
-
7:24 - 7:28(Applause)
-
7:32 - 7:33Imagine it,
-
7:34 - 7:36part public park,
-
7:36 - 7:38part funeral home,
-
7:38 - 7:40part memorial to the people we love,
-
7:40 - 7:43a place where we can reconnect
with the cycles of nature -
7:43 - 7:46and treat bodies
with gentleness and respect. -
7:49 - 7:51The infrastructure is simple.
-
7:51 - 7:52Inside a vertical core,
-
7:52 - 7:56bodies and wood chips undergo
accelerated natural decomposition, -
7:56 - 7:58or composting,
-
7:58 - 7:59and are transformed into soil.
-
8:01 - 8:06When someone dies, their body
is taken to a human composting facility. -
8:06 - 8:09After wrapping the deceased
in a simple shroud, -
8:09 - 8:12friends and family carry the body
to the top of the core, -
8:13 - 8:16which contains the natural
decomposition system. -
8:19 - 8:21During a laying in ceremony,
-
8:21 - 8:23they gently place the body into the core
-
8:23 - 8:24and cover it with wood chips.
-
8:25 - 8:29This begins the gentle transformation
from human to soil. -
8:31 - 8:34Over the next few weeks,
the body decomposes naturally. -
8:35 - 8:38Microbes and bacteria
break down carbon, then protein, -
8:38 - 8:40to create a new substance,
-
8:40 - 8:41a rich, earthy soil.
-
8:43 - 8:45This soil can then be used
to grow new life. -
8:46 - 8:48Eventually, you could be a lemon tree.
-
8:50 - 8:51(Applause)
-
8:51 - 8:52Yeah, thank you.
-
8:52 - 8:55(Applause)
-
8:58 - 9:00Who's thinking about
lemon meringue pie right now? -
9:00 - 9:03(Laughter)
-
9:03 - 9:04A lemon drop?
-
9:05 - 9:06Something stronger?
-
9:07 - 9:10So in addition to housing the core,
-
9:10 - 9:12these buildings will function
to support the grieving -
9:12 - 9:16by providing space for memorial services
and end-of-life planning. -
9:17 - 9:19The potential for repurposing is huge.
-
9:19 - 9:24Old churches and industrial warehouses
can be converted into places -
9:24 - 9:26where we create soil and honor life.
-
9:28 - 9:30We want to bring back the aspect of ritual
-
9:30 - 9:33that's been diluted
over the past hundred years -
9:33 - 9:35as cremation rates have risen
-
9:35 - 9:38and religious affiliation has declined.
-
9:39 - 9:43Our Seattle facility will function
as a model for these places -
9:43 - 9:45all over the world.
-
9:45 - 9:48We've heard from communities
in South Africa, Australia, -
9:48 - 9:51the UK, Canada and beyond.
-
9:52 - 9:54We're creating a design toolkit
-
9:54 - 9:58that will help others
design and build facilities -
9:58 - 10:01that will contain technical specifications
-
10:01 - 10:03and regulatory best practices.
-
10:03 - 10:06We want to help individuals,
organizations, -
10:06 - 10:08and down the road, municipalities
-
10:08 - 10:11design and build facilities
in their own cities. -
10:12 - 10:16The idea is that every one of these places
should look and feel completely different -
10:16 - 10:18with the same system inside.
-
10:18 - 10:22They're really meant to be designed
for the neighborhood in which they reside -
10:22 - 10:24and the community which they serve.
-
10:26 - 10:30The other idea is
for supportive staff to be on hand -
10:30 - 10:33to help families with the care
and preparation of loved ones' bodies. -
10:35 - 10:38We're banishing practices
that bewilder and disempower -
10:38 - 10:41and creating a system
that is beautiful and meaningful -
10:42 - 10:44and transparent.
-
10:45 - 10:48We believe that access
to ecological death care -
10:48 - 10:49is a human right.
-
10:53 - 10:56OK, so you know the old saying,
-
10:56 - 10:58if you can compost a cow,
you can compost a human? -
10:58 - 11:01(Laughter)
-
11:03 - 11:05Turns out, it's true.
-
11:06 - 11:09Since 2014, we've been
running a pilot project -
11:09 - 11:11in the hills of North Carolina
-
11:11 - 11:15with the Forensic Anthropology Department
at Western Carolina University. -
11:16 - 11:20Six donor bodies
have been covered in wood chips, -
11:20 - 11:22oxygen provided by breezes,
-
11:22 - 11:24microbes and bacteria doing their jobs.
-
11:25 - 11:29This pilot program has allowed us
to demonstrate that it's possible -
11:29 - 11:33to harness the incredible power
of natural decomposition -
11:33 - 11:35to turn human bodies into soil,
-
11:35 - 11:38and we're working
with other universities as well. -
11:38 - 11:41Soil scientists
at Washington State University, -
11:43 - 11:44the grad students, anyway,
-
11:44 - 11:48are working to compost
teeth with amalgam fillings -
11:48 - 11:51so that we can understand
what happens to the mercury therein. -
11:52 - 11:54Next up, we'll be beginning experiments
-
11:54 - 11:58to determine what happens
to chemo drugs and pharmaceuticals -
11:58 - 11:59during the composting process,
-
11:59 - 12:02and whether additional
remediation will be needed. -
12:06 - 12:07By the way,
-
12:07 - 12:10composting creates a great deal of heat,
-
12:10 - 12:12especially this particular
type of composting. -
12:14 - 12:19One week after we began
composting our fifth donor body, -
12:19 - 12:22the temperature inside
that mound of wood chips -
12:22 - 12:25reached 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
12:26 - 12:29Imagine harnessing that heat
to create energy -
12:29 - 12:32or comfort the grieving on a cold day.
-
12:33 - 12:35The death care revolution has begun.
-
12:36 - 12:38It's an exciting time to be alive.
-
12:40 - 12:41Thank you.
-
12:41 - 12:44(Applause)
- Title:
- When I die, recompose me
- Speaker:
- Katrina Spade
- Description:
-
What if instead of being embalmed and buried or burned to ash our bodies could help grow new life after we die? Join Katrina Spade as she discusses "recomposition" -- a system that uses the natural decomposition process to turn our deceased into life-giving soil, honoring both the earth and the departed.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 12:57
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz accepted English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for When I die, recompose me |