Better Off, Dead

Eco-burials on the upswing

We're all gonna die! Eventually, anyway. If you'd like your demise to contribute to a greener planet, reserve a plot at Forever Fernwood, a northern California cemetery specializing in "eco-interments." About half of Fernwood is devoted to burials that use environmentally friendly practices: hemp-silk blend shrouds, biodegradable coffins, low-key grave markers made from petrified wood, and no embalming. Fernwood owner Tyler Cassity is a wild child of the funeral world -- he transformed a decrepit old Los Angeles-area cemetery into "Hollywood Forever," a destination location featuring weekend movie screenings on the side of Rudolph Valentino's mausoleum. While only a select few celebs can hope to have their eternal resting place trampled by moviegoers with bags of popcorn, the green lean of millions of aging baby boomers is expected to create a very lucrative eco-burial market over the next few decades. Compost in peace.