Alternate Heat Source

Durham Crematorium in the UK is proposing a deal where they sell the energy generated by cremations to the national energy grid. They already heat their business offices and the on site chapel this way. The idea is not without precedent either, in another part of Great Britain a crematorium provides the heat for a local swimming pool. Creepy or energy efficient, what say you?

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 29, 2011
Category:

Comments

My first thought is ewww how awful, but it is another way to be energy efficient. Not sure where I stand on it.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/29/11 at 12:08 PM

Q: How does a crematorium turn everyone gay?

A: It makes them all flamers.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/29/11 at 01:26 PM

Will there be discounts for the bereaved? The Scots want to know.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/29/11 at 11:59 PM

They are... you can now have a "green" funeral. Cardboard box and a hole in the ground. Of course, that is if the funeral director's lobby hasn't gotten your state to DEMAND 47 different layers of cement, brass, wood, wool, silk, and whatever else so you don't leach into the ground.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/30/11 at 04:29 AM

The article did mention lower cost for the service I believe Expat. The green funeral has better be sans embalming or the ground water won't be drinkable in a generation.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/30/11 at 06:10 AM

In upstate SC, we have a few "green" cemetaries. Here is one that won an award.
http://www.memorialecosystems.com/News/tabid/70/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/Default.aspx

Posted by Mini Viking on 11/30/11 at 11:29 AM

Thanks, ExPat, I hadn't thought to ask for a discount!

Here in Georgia, I'm not sure how it stands right now, but certainly up until very recently, you were required to use a coffin for cremations, and you could only buy coffins from funeral director$. No knocking up a nice pine box for your folks, no matter how good a carpenter you are.

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 12/01/11 at 01:44 PM

Of course the idea's not without precedent. Duh. There's got to be someone in the coffin. Your precedent, no less.

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 12/01/11 at 01:46 PM

thanks forthe post patty .

Posted by mclaren on 03/15/12 at 03:26 PM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.