Estate Planning
If
you’ve planned carefully and early enough in life, the estate you’ve
accumulated along your journey will have carried you gracefully past the
end of your natural life span.I deally your heir(s) will one day be
grateful to divvy up any leftover wealth as they drink a toast to your
fond memory and perhaps even erect a statue in your honor. If you’ve
taken pains to insure your wishes are carefully organized and
documented, you’ll no doubt saved those around you a lot of pain and
heartache at a time when they are the least mentally prepared to deal
with your loss.
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Accountant:
If tax planning is needed, professionals who care most about the
environment are going to care most about your needs. Be sure to review
the member profile pages of any of our member accountants before
settling on your choice of professionals to handle your tax matters.
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Artificial Reefs:
Once
cremated, you may want to consider having your ashes mixed in with
cement then used to help form an artificial reef such as the Atlantis
Reef. Loved ones can take a boat trip to come visit or even scuba dive
down for a close encounter of the weird kind.
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Attorney:
If
you prepared your estate well, you will no doubt have already selected a
competent caring attorney to represent your final needs. If you’ve left
it up to your heirs to deal with stick legal matters, be sure to access
our extensive base of environmentally friendly attorneys.
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Burial at Sea:
You
may opt to be sewn into a sail cloth and honorably dropped with dignity
into the deep blue ocean where your body will one day help nourish the
bountiful array of sea life located in the ocean depths.
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Cemeteries: Unfortunately
cemeteries are not necessarily forever. Some are moved in the name of
progress or as urban needs dictate. As the world population grows, there
is going to be less and less room for grave sites and no guarantees
that bodies will remain undisturbed forever. Would you really want
someone poking through your bones and put on display long after you’re
gone and forgotten? Modern civilization has already demonstrated little
respect for the rights of ancient civilizations whose remains now reside
in museums or exposed to the cameras for the morbidly curious to view.
Instead, we ask you to consider one last grand gesture for the good of
the environment. There are many green "final” options available.
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Consignment Stores:
Once
your family has picked through your treasured possessions and donated
your old clothes to charity, what can be done about all that out of
vogue furniture? If they’re smart, they will have scouted out one of the
many consignment or used furniture stores in the area. Many of these
shops will be happy to come out, make a bid and even transport the
furniture. Some of these shops charge a monthly fee so be prepared for
the value of any piece put on consignment to evaporate to zero.
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Cremation:
Cremation
is one of the least expensive and most environmentally friendly means
of dealing with your remains after you’ve passed. Even the bible
mentions ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Consider letting the winds carry
the essence of your existence to the four corners of the earth.
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Estate/Garage Sales:
Once
all the good stuff has been fought over and the dust has settled, your
heirs may want to hold a sale to try to reduce or eliminate as much of
the unwanted furniture and other items as possible. Some organizations
will be happy to make a bid for, purchase and pick up everything. If the
deal includes cleaning every last speck of dust, be sure you (or your
heirs) get it in writing. Or the same is true even if you choose to
donate everything. Don’t let the good stuff leave until the entire job
is complete or someone will be left holding the bag and it’s likely to
be plastic.
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Forensic Archaeology: Are
you a big fan of crime dramas? Perhaps it’s only fitting that you
donate your body to be buried in one of several plots used to help train
a growing crop of forensic experts. Just imagine the thrill of
decomposing gently into a scenic coastal marsh, in a deep trench or even
down a dry well.
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Green Professional Index: Even
if you’ve yet to make any provisions for your estate, it is never too
late in life to start. Most professionals of any type are happy to offer
a free 30 – 60 minute consultation in an effort to get to know you and
your needs. Naturally we recommend contacting a proven professional from
our eco-friendly index whom also has a strong documented commitment to
the environment and can help advise you on the many green options to
choose from along your path of life. Eco-Tip
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List of Possessions: It’s
always a good idea to have a complete list of all your possessions put
away somewhere for safe keeping, how much you paid for them, a fair
valuation of what they’re worth now and serial numbers. If you ever have
a fire or break in, you’ll want to have a copy of this list safely off
site to insure you have something to show your insurance agent.
Otherwise, when the time comes for reimbursement for your property, you
may be asked to prove your losses and have nothing to present. So while
you’re making up your list, why not go just a bit further, add one more
column and make a note next to each item of where you would like to see
it go in the unlikely event of your premature demise. Along with your
possessions, make a list where all items are stored or held on your
behalf. Sample Excel Spreadsheet.
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Modern Burial Provisions: Modern
burials incorporate the use of harsh chemicals to preserve one’s body.
In a nutshell, your blood is drained and replaced with formaldehyde so
there is nothing natural about this process. One day perhaps eons into
the future, these chemicals are going to leach into the ground around
you and create a dead zone where nothing will grow. Worse yet,
cemeteries tend to use a lot of prime real estate that is by nature,
very difficult to recover later. Due to existing over-crowding, caskets
are now stacked one on top another with cement shrouds over each in an
attempt to insure you will remain undisturbed for all eternity. With all
the negatives and expense, it’s no wonder that many people are now
looking at greener, less costly eco-friendly alternatives. Eco-Tip
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Natural Burial: For
thousands of years, natural burials have been and continue to be the
norm for the bulk of civilization who are left with few options. In some
cultures, holes are drilled in the bottom of pine box caskets to help
hasten decomposition. Bio-degradable caskets, shrouds and even clothing
are available to help facilitate a natural burial. While the thought may
at first be abhorrent, you should investigate the embalming process and
perhaps you’ll be happy to reconsider one of several green
alternatives. Eco-Tip
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Organ Donation:
Welcome
to the ultimate topic involving personal recycling. Just imagine your
parts giving life and site to a handful of appreciative recipients.
What’s left over can still be donated to science to help train a new
generation of doctors and nurses. You or your family will save a small
fortune on burial costs and you will have extended or improved the lives
of many people.
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Party Planning:
Now
it’s time for a party to help honor your memory. Parties naturally
generate a lot of trash, empty beer bottles, paper plates, plastic
knives, forks and spoons, etc. Having a good eco-friendly party planner
involved really helps. They will do more than simply bag up the garbage
to await the local trash pick-up. In your honor, they will offer the
proper receptacles and insure all bottles, paper and plastics are
separated out and sent for recycling. Be sure to interview one or more
of our eco-friendly event planners for your area before making your
decision.
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Real Estate: If
property is involved and your heirs are going to want to sell or lease
your property, they’re going to want to have a really good Realtor
involved early on in the process. Most good agents will have a huge list
of resources consisting of special people willing to come in ahead of
time to clean, paint, make repairs, add landscaping, etc. You are going
to want to insure any prospective agents are committed to the
environment by reviewing our Realtor member profile pages for accolades,
certificates, merit badges and involvement in community activities.
Eco-Tip
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Thrift Stores: Most
of us don’t want to think about this however death provides each of us
an equal opportunity to recycle a lifetime full of accumulated
possessions. Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul,
Veterans, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity and local
churches all are willing and eager to receive your clothes, shoes and
other goods not wanted by your family.
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