Aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis) should be available as an option to families in Texas.

• Anyone can sign this petition!  You do not need to be a TX resident, you merely need to support options being available to all people in all areas.
• Right now the bill is stuck in Calendars, just as it was two years ago.  This means TX representatives won't even get to hear about this option or debate on the topic!
• A successful petition will show Texas legislators that TX families deserve to have this dignified option available as a choice.  Aquamation needs to be accessible and affordable to TX residents, and that the current funeral law prevents this altogether.  Families should not have to arrange for transportation of their loved one out of state for Aquamation.  This is too much to ask in their time of need.
• Here is where we are stuck: http://oi68.tinypic.com/2din6ls.jpg This is unacceptable - it's not a fair shot.
• If this bill can't make it to the floor for debate this session, it is another two years of waiting.  The next three days are crucial!  Please sign and share!
• Texas Residents:  Please also visit this link to find and call/email your governor and local rep.  Everyone:  Please also visit this site to help with other petitions. 
  
  

What is Aquamation?

The scientific name for Aquamation is alkaline hydrolysis (AH).  This option is an alternative to flame-based cremation and burial.  The process uses heat and a solution of 95% water and 5% alkali (Potassium Hydroxide) to reduce all organic material, leaving only the inorganic minerals (the calcium phosphate of the skeletal remains).  Just as with flame cremation, the mineral remains are processed into a powder.  The family receives an urn of ashes, approximately 20-30% more than with flame cremation. 

Families can inter the urn at a cemetery, keep them at home, scatter in special places, make memorial jewelry or remembrance diamonds, create memorial plantings, etc.

There are currently 20 states, 4 Canadian Provinces, and several other countries that allow Aquamation within their funeral law, with another 20 states and provinces working on amending language.  For pets, this option is available everywhere, since funeral law does not govern pet aftercare services. 

You can view a video and access FAQs here:  www.aquamationinfo.com

Texas has a rich history with Alkaline Hydrolysis!

• Texas Research Foundation installed their first system 18 years ago.  They decommissioned their incinerator in favor of the greener non-burn technology.
• Two years later, Texas A&M installed their second system.
• Prestigious TX pharma companies in Fort Worth and The Woodlands have used alkaline hydrolysis for safe handling of pathogenic materials.
• Texas is home to the only two animal shelters in the world using alkaline hydrolysis.  This allows the animal shelters to provide gentle disposition, and offer the service to the community as a source of income. (picture)
• In 2012, UTSW Medical School chose AH as a green and dignified final disposition for heroes who donate their bodies to medical science!  (picture) The system operates in the middle of campus in downtown Dallas.  This could have never been done with a flame crematory, due to fire risk and emissions!  {This system was approved by Texas Dept of Health...... they are not governed by funeral law!}  WHY is this not an option for the rest of us?
  

Quick Facts - Sources Cited Below

·         A recent published, peer-reviewed study concluded that alkaline hydrolysis had the least environmental impact of current funeral technologies by a large margin. (1)

·         There are no direct emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses from this process. (1, 2)

·         The process offers up to 90% energy savings when compared to flame-based cremation. (1,2)

·         The carbon footprint is significantly less than the carbon footprint of traditional flame cremation or burial. (1, 2)  AH does not use fossil fuels, which means it can be fully operated by alternative energies like solar and wind.

·          The environmental impact of alkaline hydrolysis is less than natural/green burial at its optimal scenario (defined as no body bag, no embalming, the most ecologically friendly biodegradable body covering - which happened to be cardboard, use of an elevator, graves dug by hand, no monument – only natural markers, only biologically degradable clothing, no jewels, no maintenance of burial grounds, and more people buried per graveyard). Even though green burial directly uses the least amount of energy, the reclamation of metals from bodies that undergo alkaline hydrolysis more than offsets this energy gap by a significant amount. (1)

·         Watch this video for more in-depth information on AH from Mayo Clinic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Le7rLbkFe4

Sources Cited

1. Keijzer, Elisabeth. “The Environmental Impact of Activities after Life: Life Cycle Assessment of Funerals.” The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, vol. 22, no. 5, 2017, pp. 715–730.

2. Olson, Philip R. “Flush and Bone.” Science, Technology &Amp; Human Values, vol. 39, no. 5, 2014, pp. 666–693.

Together we can make an impact.  Thank you for your support!  Please also consider signing our Ontario Petition.