These burials usually are found in nature preserves and aren't cemeteries as we know them. The emphasis is on nature and not the graves. Burial plots are very low density in a green cemetery. A typical cemetery has rather tight plots, over 1,000 plots per acre are common. In a nature preserve cemetery density varies from 100 to 200 per acre.

In a "green burial" a person is laid to rest in a biodegradable container such as a shroud, blanket, wooden box or cardboard box. A vault is not used and the body is not embalmed. We remember a guide in Turkey told us most people there are buried in a white sheet.

The information we obtained about "green burials" said there is no law that requires a vault to be used, but many cemeteries require them to reduce settling, decrease maintenance and to allow for more gravesites per acre. A green cemetery has no neatly mowed grass and impresive tombstones. The only flowers are by nature.

Some statistics on the subject: The 22,500 cemeteries across the country bury about 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid containing formaldehyde and other chemicals; caskets containing 2,700 tons of copper and bronze; caskets containing 30-plus million board feet of hardwoods (often from tropical sources; vaults containing 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete; and vaults containing 14,000 tons of steel.

We can't verify those statistics. They came from a "fact" sheet on "green burials."

Of course, it's cheaper to have a "green burial." To our knowledge there is no green cemetery in Missouri. But it is expensive to develop a green cemetery. The estimate given was $250,000, but that doesn't include land acquisition and structures if needed. Other costs could be for road and trail construction; survey and plot maps of gravesites; and parking lot construction.

About 10 states have "green burial" cemeteries. Most of them have been developed in the past 20 years.

You don't hear or read much about "green burials" and green cemeteries. Apparently, there have been no negative results from these types of burial grounds to date.

We dwelled on this subject because it's something new and in some people's minds unusual. Is it too early to say it's a growing part of the green culture?