New York passes human fertilization law

Howard Fisher, a 63-year-old investor who lives in North New Yorkwe weHe has a wish when he dies. He wants his remains to be potted, processed by tiny microbes, and composted in rich fertile soil.

“I am committed to composting my body and my family knows that,” he said. I’d rather it happen in New York, where I live, than anywhere else in the country. “

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill last Saturday, 31, to legalize natural and organic reduction, otherwise known as human fertilization. Thus, New York became the sixth state in the United States to allow this method of burial.

Washington state became the first US state to legalize human fertilization in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021 and Vermont and California in 2022.

For Fisher, this alternative, an environmental method of burial, is consistent with his philosophical views on life: living in an environmentally conscious way.

The process goes like this: a person’s body is placed in a reusable container accompanied by plant materials such as wood chips, alfalfa seeds, and straw. The organic blend creates the perfect habitat for microbes to naturally thrive and do the work, breaking down your body quickly and efficiently in about one month.

The end result is a mound of nutrient-dense soil, equivalent to 36 bags of soil, which can be used to plant trees or enrich conservation lands, forests and gardens.

In urban areas like New York, where land is limited, this can be seen as a very attractive alternative to burial.

Michelle Minter, director of the Greensprings Cemetery Conservation Center in central New York, said the foundation would “strongly consider” this method as an alternative. “It’s definitely more in line with what we’re doing,” he added.

a Cemetery The 52-hectare nature preserve and set amidst a protected forest offers ecological and natural burials, when bodies are placed in a biodegradable container and then in a grave where they can completely decompose.