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Grasses to grasses, dust to dust

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My husband and I apply Allan Savory’s range management principles to our small acreage west of Boulder, grazing horses in early summer (HCN, 9/5/05: Rangland Revival). We move fences constantly, but the results, after about four years of doing this, are obvious to us, even in drought conditions. Our grasses are thicker and healthier than ever, and bare ground is diminishing. True, we haven’t done a scientific study with detailed measurements and counts, but with our naked eyes we see results.

Next, regarding the disposal of cremation ashes — my feeling is that it is criminal to bury humans in nonbiodegradable containers (HCN, 9/5/05: The meeting of heaven and earth). What does "dust to dust" mean, anyway? We are biomass, just like any other organic form that decomposes and feeds the earth. How anthropocentric can we get, that we feel so holy that we deprive the earth of our personal nutrient value? In my view, being exposed to the elements and eaten by critters is the only truly honest and loving way to go.

Jennifer Stewart
Nederland, Colorado

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