Although cremation is somewhat more environmentally friendly, it’s still not exactly green. For a body to be incinerated down to ash and bone, it has to get incredibly hot (between 1,400 and 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 45 minutes. That requires natural gas, which means the release of greenhouse gas . There is also some concern about whether or not bodies release mercury into the atmosphere during the cremation process (although it’s unclear exactly how much of a risk this poses to the general population).“But it’s not just about saving trees,” explains Ed Bixby, president of the Green Burial Council’s board of directors and owner of Steelmantown Green Burial Preserve in New Jersey. “It’s about empowering people to embrace the death of their loved ones.” Indeed, many are finding that green burials provide a level of complex emotional satisfaction that traditional funeral services usually can’t.Part of that means personalizing the service for your loved one by incorporating certain songs or giving guests the chance to tell their own stories, for instance, which is a trend that has been on the rise for a while now, says Amy Cunningham , a funeral director in New York City who specializes in green services. But green burials take it even further. At these services, funeral-goers are encouraged to take an active role, including helping to fill the grave by hand. The services usually take place outside at a cemetery that allows elements of natural burial (such as not having a vault) or on conservation grounds (such as those surrounding Ramsey Creek).When it came time for Cindy Keese, 35, to plan the service for her husband Matthew, that personalization took a central role. Matthew's father built his son a simple pine coffin, and Cindy and her sister lined the inside with cardboard and little notes. She and her family and friends also filled the burial hole completely by themselves, which turned out to be a surprisingly moving experience. "I was able to keep it together and not break down into tears until that part," she says. "I think it helped with closure in a way that I didn't anticipate."“This changes bereavement,” Cunningham adds. “When people make the effort to have this service, they leave the cemetery skipping because they’re so delighted by what they just experienced. And, at least for the moment, their grief is lessened and they’re uplifted in a very powerful, beautiful way.”And, without the embalming process, there’s no effort to hide just how dead the dead really are. “This idea of preserving the body and making it look like it’s alive — that really is a denial of death,” says Billy Campbell, MD, who, along with his wife Kimberley, founded Memorial Ecosystems in South Carolina, the company that operates the Ramsey Creek Preserve.