> But there is a more serious point about pollution. > I suspect (without proof) > that 80% of all cremations in India are > done with firewood and with Hindus
Even if 100% were cremated in electic crematoria, it is still fuel consumption. Because, electricity is produced by burning coal in a power plant. The thermal plants run all day. Its the hydro-elec plants that can be switched on or off depending on the load. The same coal could have been used to produce electricity to power our computers. Basically in burning, the action is to dehydrate/cook convert into smoke/(various gases) plus ash(carbon) all these end products take longer to get back into the eco system. Now if the same can be decomposed and used as compost, we could be using this for growing flower plants (to make wreaths out of). Lukhman.
