Frequently Asked Questions: Categories □ Sensibility, □ Environment, □ Legality, □ Innovation
| Q: Can I eat marine fish after "complete sea burial"? | A1: Rest assured, deep-sea scavengers include crustaceans like sea lice, giant isopods, deep-sea shrimp, deep-sea mussels, hagfish, and bone-eating worms. They are not the fish you'd eat on your table. You'll never even see them, let alone eat them. A2: In the future, seafood on our tables will be supplied by smart aquaculture platforms operating in offshore ranches. For example, yellow croaker, abalone, and king crab will migrate to different latitudes during winter and summer for healthier farming. |
| Q Sensibility: It’s cold to be buried at the bottom of the sea. |
A: Definitely warmer than a freezer. In shallow waters, the bottom water temperature is around 25°C, primarily influenced by solar radiation near the surface and seasonal fluctuations. At depths of around 500 meters, the bottom water temperature is around 10°C, around 1000 meters, around 5°C, and at around 2000 meters, it drops to around 3°C. At depths of 2000-3500 meters, the bottom water temperature in the South China Sea fluctuates very little (within a range of approximately 0.5°C). Taiwan has many hot springs, and seawater seeps through fissures into the seafloor, chemically exchanging with the surrounding rocks and rising magma. The altered composition of the seawater erupts from chimney vents, forming hydrothermal plumes. The temperature of the hydrothermal fluids ranges from 45 to 60°C, increasing towards the interior of the vents, reaching as high as 126°C. However, due to the rapid dilution of the seawater, it poses no risk to divers. |
| Q Sensibility: Leaving bones as a memorial. | A: Currently, the maximum storage period for cremated ashes is 50 years. After that, descendants will have to worry about finding a new burial site. According to Article 28 of the Funeral and Interment Management Regulations, when a burial site expires, if no family members intervene within six months of the announcement, the remains will be scattered or removed. Water burial adheres to ecological principles, treating our bodies, gifted by God, as a parting gift to the Earth and a continuation of life, much like dolphins returning from land to the ocean. Moreover, how many people in the world can afford such a romantic graduation trip to the deep sea? Water burial uses GPS technology to record the burial location, allowing family and friends to gather and pay respects at the coordinates. This direct line of sight allows for close proximity, not only to commemorate the deceased but also to strengthen family bonds and uphold the traditional virtue of respecting the deceased and remembering their ancestors. |
| QLegality: |
A: Countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have practiced water burials for many years and have enacted relevant regulations. For example, the US Environmental Protection Agency, under the Marine Conservation, Research, and Sanctuary Act, permits water burials at least three nautical miles from the coast and at a depth of 600 feet, requiring the use of biodegradable materials. Taiwan, surrounded by the sea and endowed with abundant marine resources, possesses the natural conditions for water burials. |
| QInnovation: Compared with water burial in Europe and the United States, what are the improvements? | A: Traditional water burials in the United States and the United Kingdom still rely on a small boat carrying a body wrapped in cloth and thrown into the sea, which can lead to the body floating ashore. This technology aims to scientifically address the floating issue of traditional water burials, ensuring the body remains stable at the bottom of the water, allowing it to complete its decomposition cycle in a natural environment. This arrangement not only respects the deceased, but also provides a solemn funeral ceremony that helps families cope with the grief of their loss. Burial in water shares the same concept as traditional burial in land: both ensure the body is properly placed in nature. |
| QInnovation: How to ensure that it does not float? | A: 1. When purging the body, use environmentally friendly agents such as soda-salt irrigation to prevent swelling in arteries and body cavities. 2. Install a deflation tube in the rectum. 3. Use a hollow lattice coffin with cement counterweights, which harden and double in weight upon contact with water. |
| QEnvironment: Will water burial pollute the ocean? | A: The combined area of all cities worldwide accounts for 0.29% to 0.88% of the Earth's total surface area (including oceans). Despite their small proportion, cities house over half of the world's population. Meanwhile, cremation rates in various countries exceed 50%. The cremation process consumes significant amounts of energy and produces large quantities of toxic gases. Although urban areas represent a small percentage of the Earth's total surface area, their impact on the environment and resources is significant. Driven by population growth, limited land availability, and environmental awareness, developed countries are promoting funeral reforms, using full ocean burials to address the rapidly increasing cremation rate. After all, the ocean covers 71% of the Earth's total surface area, offering immense potential. Combined with full ocean burials, they benefit the natural energy cycle. Therefore, Birthday Company has developed a truly environmentally friendly natural burial method and equipment that aligns with the complete cycle of life. |
| QEnvironment: Why do you want to accept water burial? | A: Water burial offers the following advantages: 1. Environmentally friendly: It eliminates the pollution of cremation, uses biodegradable materials, and returns to the natural cycle. This is particularly relevant given the current public demand for water burials due to climate change, and responds to the government's active integration with green technology innovation and the sustainable development of the natural environment. 2. Resource-efficient: It alleviates the shortage of cemeteries and aligns with Taiwan's maritime character. 3. Humanistic: It integrates technological memorialization with traditional respect for the dead and environmental protection. 4. Diverse spirit: Article 1 of the Funeral and Interment Management Regulations states that the legislative purpose is to "promote the environmentally friendly and sustainable operation of funeral facilities" and "balance individual dignity and the public interest." "Water burial innovation" achieves environmental goals and respects individual wills (Article 61 of the Regulations), which is highly consistent with the legislative purpose and should be supported by the government in accordance with the law. |
| Q: Some people say that the declining birth rate may be related to cremation? | A: This claim is unfounded. However, 37 trillion cells in the human body, along with an even greater number of symbiotic bacteria, were destroyed in the flames, unfortunately unable to follow the cycle of life and be released back into the natural ecosystem. Water is the origin of life, and water also exists in the mother's embryo. Returning these 37 trillion cells and their even greater number of symbiotic bacteria to the mother's embrace of oxygenated water lays the foundation for the next stage of "birth of life." |