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{{Infobox_School
{{Citations missing|date=August 2008}}
| name = Odle Middle School
[[Image:Crematorium.arp.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, [[England]].]]
| image =
| imagesize =
| motto =
| established =
| grades = 6 - 8
| district = [[Bellevue School District]]
| type = [[Public]] [[Middle School]]
| principal = Jerry Schaefer
| enrollment = 690 (as of 2005-06)<ref name=NCES/>
| faculty = 33.7 (on [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis)<ref name=NCES/>
| ratio = 20.5<ref name=NCES/>
| nickname = [[Vikings]]
| conference =
| colors = [[Red]], [[Blue]]
| publication =
| location = 14401 NE 8th Street<br>[[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]], [[Washington|WA]] 98007
| information = 425-456-6600
| website = [http://www.odlemiddleschool.org School website]
}}
'''Odle Middle School''' is a public [[middle school]] in [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]], [[Washington]], [[United States|USA]]. The school is part of the [[Bellevue School District]], and is named for Frank Odle, who taught there 55 years before retiring in 1968.<ref>{{cite news | last = Cornwall | first = Warren | coauthors = Shevory, Kristina | title = Some who shaped Bellevue | work = | pages = | publisher = The Seattle Times | date = [[2003-10-23]] | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/eastsidenews/134661627_btabshapers.html | accessdate = 2008-02-25}}</ref><ref>http://www.scn.org/bellehist/bsd8.html Bellevue School District Timeline, Retrieved on 2008-02-25</ref> As of the 2007-08 school year, the [[school principal]] is Jerry Schaefer.


In 2001-02, Odle Middle School was one of the two schools in the state to be awarded a [[Blue Ribbon Schools Program|Blue Ribbon]] by the U.S. Department of Education.<ref>[http://www.wssda.org/wssda/webforms/en-us/news/2002/20020529_bluerib.asp "Bellevue middle school receives national recognition"], Washington State School Directors' Association, [[May 29]], [[2002]].</ref><ref>{{cite web
'''Cremation''' is the act of reducing a [[corpse]] by [[combustion|burning]], generally in a '''crematorium''' furnace or '''crematory''' fire. Contrary to popular belief, the remains (often called '''cremains''') are not "ashes" in the usual sense, but rather dried bone fragments that have been pulverized in a device called a ''cremulator''.
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002
| work =
| publisher = U.S. Department of Education
| date =
| url = http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf
| format = pdf
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-02-25 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized - 2003 Through 2006 (PDF)], [[United States Department of Education]]. Accessed [[May 11]], [[2006]].</ref> This the highest award an American school can receive.<ref>[http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17475750&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6 CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department], ''[[Journal Inquirer]]'', [[November 16]], [[2006]]. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. '''It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve'''."</ref><ref>Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; ''[[The Washington Post]]''. [[September 29]], [[2005]] '''"For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."'''</ref>


==Demographics==
Cremation may serve as a funeral or postfuneral rite that is an alternative to the interment of an intact body in a casket. Cremains, which are not a health risk, may be buried or immured in memorial sites or cemeteries, or they may be legally retained by relatives or dispersed in a variety of ways and locations.
As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 665 students and 33.7 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 20.5.<ref name=NCES>[http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/sch_info_popup.asp?Type=Public&ID=530039000079], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed [[7 October]] [[2008]].</ref> 41% of the students are [[Caucasian race|Caucasian]] and 37% [[Asian people|Asian]]/[[Pacific Islander]].<ref>[http://washington.schooltree.org/public/Odle-Middle-091882.html "Odle Middle School"], School Tree.org, ''accessed [[7 October]] [[2008]]''</ref>


==Extracurricular awards==
== Modern cremation process ==
Odle Middle School earned first place in the national K-8 chess championship.<ref>{{cite press release
[[Image:Cremation1.jpg|thumb|left|220px|The cadaver is checked to ensure jewelry has been removed. This checking process is not done in the UK—see text below.]]
| title = 1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville
| publisher = United States Chess Federation
| date = [[2006-04-12]]
| url = http://www.uschess.org/news/press/uspr0613.php
| accessdate = 2006-02-25 }}</ref>
<ref>{{Citation
| last =
| first =
| author-link =
| last2 =
| first2 =
| author2-link =
| title = National News, 1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville
| journal = Chess Review Online, The Newsletter of the United States Chess Federation
| volume = 3
| issue = 13
| pages =
| date = [[2006-04-13]]
| year = 2006
| url = http://www.uschess.org/news/newsletter/2006/060413/USNews.php
| doi =
| id = }}
</ref><ref>[http://www.nwchess.com/tourn_2006.htm 2006 Tournament Chess News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The chess team has also claimed first place in the Washington Middle School Team Championship for the school years 2007-2008, 2006-2007<ref>http://www.alchess.com/chess/07/jhs/?page=TEAM&xsection=K8 accessed 2008-02-25</ref>, and 2005-2006. One student, named Michael Lee, aged just 14, in the program has a [[Chessmaster| National Master]] rating from the [[United States Chess Federation]].<ref>{{Citation | last = Mulady | first = Kathy | title = National chess master at 14 | date = [[2008-02-17]] | year = [[2008]] | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351660_chess18.html | accessdate = 2008-02-25}}</ref>


In addition, students Kevin Liu, Joshua Zhu, Charles Lu, and Alex Tang scored in the top 10 individually in the Washington State Math Championships. PRISM student Shijie Joy Zheng was part of the Washington State [[MATHCOUNTS]] team that placed 7th nationally in May 2007.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003707126_dige15m.html "Toddler run over by car, killed"], Seattle Times, [[May 15]], [[2007]]</ref>
The cremation occurs in a crematorium, consisting of one or more cremator furnaces or cremation retorts for the ashes. A cremator is an industrial [[furnace]] capable of generating temperatures of 870–980°C (1600–1800°F) to ensure disintegration of the corpse. A crematorium may be part of [[chapel]] or a [[funeral home]], or part of an independent facility or a service offered by a [[cemetery]].


Students received 1st place in the Washington State Math Championship for 6th and 7th grades in 2007. Odle Middle School's Future Problem Solving Club, led by teacher Debby Benzinger, received 5th place in the [[Future Problem Solving Program International]] Competition in 2007.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}
[[Image:Cremation2.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The body burns in the cremator.]]


The Knowledge Masters Open Team, also led by teacher Debby Benzinger, placed first in Washington State and 31<sup>st</sup> worldwide in Fall 2007. <ref>[http://greatauk.com/kmom.pdf], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Fall 2007 Middle School Division.</ref>
Modern cremator fuels include [[natural gas]] and [[propane]]. However, [[coal]] and [[coke (fuel)|coke]] were used until the early 1960s.
In Spring 2008, they placed first in state as well as 12th<sup>th</sup> international.<ref>[http://greatauk.com/kmom.pdf], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Spring 2008 Middle School Division.</ref>


==PRISM==
Modern cremators have adjustable control systems that monitor the furnace during cremation.
The PRISM program is part of the Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) program offered in the Bellevue School District for grades 1-12.<ref>[http://www.bsd405.org/Default.aspx?tabid=335 "Gifted Programs"], BelleVue school District, ''accessed [[25 February]] [[2008]]'</ref> The district superintendent said in February 2006 "The only other program that we know of like this is in Australia".<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002820718_giftedhigh22e.html "Fast track at Gifted High"], Rachel Tuinstra, Seattle Times, [[February 22]], [[2006]]</ref> PRISM at Odle Middle School continues the curriculum acceleration from Stevenson Elementary School and continues into the experimental G.A.T.E. program at [[Interlake High School]]. PRISM is a selective program; applicants need a minimum score of 144 on the Cognitive Abilities Test. Reading and Quantitative scores must be of the 90th percentile or higher, one of which must be at or above the 97th percentile.


The program consists of separate core classes in science, math, language arts, and social studies. The curriculum for science consists of two years of Integrated Science. Language arts and social studies classes are combined into a two-class block.{{what}}
A cremation furnace is not designed to cremate more than one body at a time, something that is illegal in many countries, including the U.S.


The high school program, which is in its first year of implementation in the 2006-2007 school year, extends the science, English, and social studies classes further in the [[IB Diploma Programme|International Baccalaureate (IB)]] program at Interlake High School. In the IB program, PRISM students complete the IB diploma during 10th and 11th grade, rather than the usual 11th and 12th grade. The [[University of Washington]] provides special classes for PRISM students in their senior year when they have enough credits to graduate early.
The chamber where the body is placed is called the ''retort''. It is lined with [[refractory]] bricks that resist the heat. The bricks are typically replaced every five years due to thermal fatigue.


==Academy of Visual and Performing Arts==
Modern cremators are computer-controlled to ensure legal and safe use; e.g., the door cannot be opened until the cremator has reached operating temperature. The coffin is inserted (charged) into the retort as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss through the top-opening door. The coffin may be on a charger (motorised trolley) that can quickly insert the coffin, or one that can tilt and tip the coffin into the cremator.
The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts offers classes in Theater Arts, Academy Visual Art, Academy Orchestra, Academy Band, Academy Choir, Academy Dance, and Photography.<ref>[http://www.bsd405.org/Default.aspx?tabid=127 "Special Offerings at Odle"], Bellevue School District, ''accessed [[27 February]] [[2008]]''</ref>
Academy courses are more rigorous classes than normal classes.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}


==Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology==
Some crematoria allow relatives to view the charging. This is sometimes done for religious reasons, such as in traditional Hindu and Jain funerals.<ref name="carlson1997">
In the Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology students spend a two-period block each day working on Academy projects.
{{cite book
At Odle, in spring 2003, 76 percent of eighth-graders met standards in science, one of the highest success rates in the [[Seattle Metropolitan area]]. This success was attributed by then principal Kenneth Lyon to this academy since 96.3 percent of the 54 eighth-graders in the academy succeeded on the science [[Washington Assessment of Student Learning]].<ref>[http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/144468_wasl18.html "WASL science results poor"], GREGORY ROBERTS,SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, [[October 18]], [[2003]]</ref>
| title = Caring for the Dead
| first = Lisa
| last = Carlson
| isbn = 0-942-679-210
| publisher = Upper Access, Inc.
| page = p. 78
| year = 1997
}}</ref>


==Other programs==
Most cremators are a standard size. Typically, larger cities have access to an oversize cremator that can handle deceased in the 200kg (441 pounds)+ range. Most large crematoriums have a small cremator installed for the disposal of fetal and infant remains.
===Service Club===
Service Club is an after-school program ran by Jana Sparks and Amber Anderson, where kids help the school by doing things like posters for events or raise money. The Service Club also raises money for programs like the Humane Society. Service Club has gone to visit retirement homes to give the elderly comfort.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}


=== Body container ===
===Jazz band===
Odle's jazz band is run by the school's band instructor, Barry Roberts. They practice daily in the morning for 35 minutes, practicing various genres of pieces. They attend local competitions as well as the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho. In addition, Barry Roberts also offers a second jazz band for all ages and instruments which practices once weekly after school.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}
[[Image:Cremation3.jpg|thumb|left|220px|The remains are then sifted through to make sure the fragments are small enough.]]

In the U.S., a body ready to be cremated must be placed in a container for cremation, which can be a simple corrugated cardboard box or a wooden casket. Most casket manufacturers provide a line of caskets specially built for cremation. Another option is a cardboard box that fits inside a wooden shell designed to look like a traditional casket. After the funeral service, the interior box is removed from the shell before cremation, permitting the shell to be reused. [[Funeral home]]s may also offer rental caskets, which are traditional caskets used only for the duration of the services, after which the body is transferred to another container for cremation. Rental caskets are sometimes designed with removable beds and liners, which are replaced after each use.

In the UK, the body is not removed from the coffin and is not placed into a container as described above. The body is cremated with the coffin, which is why all UK coffins that are to be used for cremation must be made of combustible material. The Code of Cremation Practice forbids the opening of the coffin once it has arrived at the crematorium, and rules stipulate it must be cremated on the same day as the funeral service. Thus, in the UK, bodies are cremated in the same coffin as they are placed in at the funeral parlor. It is recommended that jewelry be removed before the coffin is sealed for this reason. After the cremation process has been completed, the remains are passed through a magnetic field to remove any bits of metal, which will be interred elsewhere in the crematorium grounds. The ashes are then given to relatives or loved ones.

In [[Australia]], the deceased are cremated in a coffin supplied by the undertaker. Reusable or cardboard coffins are becoming popular with several manufacturers now supplying them. If cost is an issue, a plain, particle-board coffin (known in the trade as a "chippie") will be offered. Handles (if fitted) are plastic and approved for use in a cremator. Coffins vary from natural cardboard or unfinished particle board (covered with a velvet pall if there is a service) to solid timber; most are veneered particle board.

Cremations can be "delivery only," with no preceding chapel service at the crematorium (although a church service may have been held) or preceded by a service in one of the crematorium chapels. Delivery-only allows crematoriums to schedule cremations to make best use of the cremators, perhaps by holding the body overnight in a refrigerator. As a result, a lower fee is applicable. Delivery-only may be referred to in industry jargon as "west chapel service."

=== Burning and ashes collection ===
[[Image:Cremation4.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Remains with large pieces are put into a machine, the "cremulator," that grinds them down to finer bone fragments that somewhat resemble wood-ash in appearance, but of greater density.]]

The box containing the body is placed in the retort and [[incinerated]] at a temperature of 760° to 1150°C (1400° to 2100°F). During the cremation process, a large part of the body (especially the organs) and other soft tissue are [[vaporized]] and oxidized due to the heat, and the gases are discharged through the exhaust system. The entire process usually takes about two hours.

All that remains after cremation are dry bone fragments (mostly calcium phosphates and minor minerals). Their color is usually light gray. They represent very roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person, although it is more closely connected with the person's height and sex than with their simple weight. The mean weight of adult cremains in a Florida, U.S. sample was 5.3 lb (approx. 2.4 kg) for adults (range 2 to 8 lb/900 g to 3.6 kg). This was found to be distributed bimodally according to sex, with the mean being 6 lb (2.7 kg) for men (range 4 to 8 lb/1.8 kg to 3.6 kg) and 4 lb (1.8 kg) for women (range 2 to 6 lb/900 g to 2.7 kg). In this sample, generally all adult cremated remains over 6 lb (2.7 kg) were from males, and those under 4 lb (1.8 kg) were from females.<ref>
{{cite journal
| last=Warren
| first=M
| coauthors=Maples, W
| title=The anthropometry of contemporary commercial cremation
| journal=Journal of Forensic Science
| volume=42
| issue=3
| pages=pp. 417–423
| year=1997
| pmid=9144931}}</ref>

Jewelry, such as wristwatches and rings, are ordinarily removed and returned to the family. The only nonnatural item ''required'' to be removed is a [[pacemaker]], because it could explode and damage the cremator. In the United Kingdom, and possibly other countries, the undertaker is required to remove pacemakers prior to delivering the body to the crematorium, and sign a declaration stating that any pacemaker has been removed.<ref name="green2006">
{{cite book
| title = Dealing With Death: Practices and Procedures
| last = Green
| first = Jennifer
| pages = p. 112
| coauthors = Green, Michael
| publisher = Jessica Kingsley Publishers
| year = 2006
| isbn = 1-843-103-818
}}</ref>

After the incineration is completed, the bone fragments are swept out of the retort and the operator uses a pulverizer called a ''cremulator''<ref name="green2006" /> (also known informally as a ''crembola''{{Fact|date=February 2007}}) to process them into what are known as cremains, which exhibit the appearance of grains of sand (note that this varies with the efficiency of the cremulator used, and recognizable chips of very dry bone ''may'' be seen in some final product cremated remains, depending on origin and facility). Cremulators usually use some kind of rotating or grinding mechanism to powder the bones, such as the heavy metal balls on older models.<ref name="davies-crembola">{{cite encyclopedia
| last = Davies
| first = Douglas J.
| coauthors = Mates, Lewis H.
| year = 2005
| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Cremation
| title = Cremulation
| pages = p. 152
| publisher = Ashgate Publishing
| isbn = 0-754-637-735
}}</ref> See also [[ball mill]].

In [[Japanese Funeral|Japan]] and [[Taiwan]], the bones are not pulverized unless requested beforehand, and are collected by the family.

This is one of the reasons cremated remains are called ''ashes'', although a technical term sometimes used is "cremains"<ref>Carlson, p. 80</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| title = Final Celebrations: A Guide for Personal and Family Funeral Planning
| first = Kathleen
| last = Sublette
| coauthors = Flagg, Martin
| isbn = 0-934-793-433
| year = 1992
| pages = p. 52
| publisher = Pathfinder Publishing
}}</ref> (a [[portmanteau]] of "cremated" and "remains"). The ashes are placed in a container, which can be anything from a simple cardboard box to a fancy [[urn]]. An unavoidable consequence of cremation is that a tiny residue of bodily remains is left in the chamber after cremation and mixes with subsequent cremations.

Not all that remains is bone. There will be melted metal lumps from missed jewelry; casket furniture; dental fillings; and surgical implants, such as hip replacements. Large items such as titanium hip replacements are usually removed before grinding, as they may damage the grinder. After grinding, smaller bits of metal are sieved out and later interred in common, [[consecrate]]d ground in a remote area of the cemetery.

== Methods of keeping or disposing of the cremated remains ==
[[Image:Cremation5.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Cremated remains are boxed with a plastic liner for the family to do as they wish, or placed in an urn and sealed shut.]]

Cremated remains are returned to the next of kin in a rectangular plastic container, contained within a further cardboard box or velvet sack, or in an urn if the family had already purchased one. An official certificate of cremation prepared under the authority of the crematorium accompanies the remains, and if required by law, the permit for disposition of human remains, which must remain with the cremains.

Cremated remains can be kept in an urn, sprinkled on a special field, mountain, [[Burial at sea|in the sea]], or buried in the ground at any location. In addition, there are several services in which the cremated remains will be scattered in a variety of ways and locations. Some examples are via a helium balloon, through fireworks, shot from shotgun shells, or scattered from an airplane (this is not illegal in most jurisdictions, in part because laws prohibiting it would be difficult to enforce). One service sends a lipstick-tube sized sample of the cremains into low earth orbit, where they remain for years (but not permanently) before re-entering the atmosphere. Another company claims to turn part of the cremains into a diamond in an artificial diamond manufacturing machine. These converted grown diamonds can then be cut, polished, and mounted as would a real diamond into jewelry as a keepsake for the family. Cremains may also be incorporated, with urn and cement, into part of an artificial reef, or they can also be mixed into paint and made into a portrait of the deceased. Cremated remains can be scattered in national parks in the U.S., with a special permit. They can also be scattered on private property, with the owner's permission. A portion of the cremated remains may be retained in a specially designed locket known as a '''keepsake pendant'''. The cremated remains may also be entombed. Most cemeteries will grant permission for burial of cremains in occupied cemetery plots that have already been purchased or are in use by the families disposing of the cremains, without any additional charge or oversight.

The final disposition depends on the personal wishes of the deceased as well as their cultural and religious beliefs. Some religions will permit the cremated remains to be sprinkled or kept at home. Some religions, such as Roman Catholicism, insist on either burying or entombing the remains. Hinduism obliges the closest male relative (son, father, husband, etc.) of the deceased to immerse the cremated remains in the holy river [[Ganges]], preferably at the holy city of [[Haridwar]], [[India]]. The [[Sikhs]] and Punjabi [[Hindus]] immerse the remains in [[Sutlej]], usually at [[Sri Harkiratpur]]. In Japan and Taiwan, the remaining bone fragments are given to the family and are used in a burial ritual before final interment (see [[Japanese funeral]]).

== Reasons for choosing cremation ==
[[Image:Helsinki-cemetery-mini-gravestones-1841.JPG|thumb|right|Cremation allows for very economical use of cemetery space.]]

Apart from religious reasons (discussed below), some people find they prefer cremation for personal reasons. For some people, it is because they are not attracted to traditional burial. The thought of a long, slow decomposition process is unappealing to some;<ref name="aiken">
{{cite book
| first = Lewis R.
| last = Aiken
| title = Dying, Death, and Bereavement
| publisher = Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
| year = 2000
| pages = p. 131
| isbn = 0-805-835-040
}}</ref> many people find that they prefer cremation because it disposes of the body immediately.<ref name="sublette-p53">Sublette & Flagg, p. 53</ref>

Other people view cremation as a way of simplifying their funeral process. These people view a traditional burial as an unneeded complication of their funeral process, and thus choose cremation to make their services as simple as possible.

The cost factor tends to make cremation attractive. Generally speaking, cremation costs less than traditional burial services,<ref name="sublette-p53" /> especially if direct cremation is chosen, in which the body is cremated as soon as legally possible without any sort of services. However, there is wide variation in the cost of cremation services, having mainly to do with the amount of service desired by the deceased or the family. A cremation can take place after a full traditional funeral service, which adds cost. The type of container used also influences cost.

Cremated remains can be scattered or buried. Cremation plots or [[columbarium]] niches usually cost less than a burial plot or mausoleum crypt, and require less space. Some religions, such as [[Roman Catholicism]], require the burial or entombment of cremated remains, but burial of cremains may often be accomplished in the burial plot of another person, such as a family member, without any additional cost.

== Environmental impact ==

To some, cremation might be preferable for [[natural environment|environment]]al reasons. Burial is a known source of certain environmental contaminants. [[Embalming]] fluids, for example, are known to contaminate groundwater with [[Mercury (element)|mercury]], [[arsenic]], and [[formaldehyde]]. The coffins themselves are another known source of contamination.<ref>
{{cite journal
| last = Spongberg
| first = Alison L.
| coauthors = Becks, Paul M.
| year = 2000
| month = January
| title = Inorganic Soil Contamination from Cemetery Leachate
| journal = Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
| volume = 117
| issue = 1-4
| pages = 313–327
| doi = 10.1023/A:1005186919370
| id = {{ISSN|0049-6979}}
| url =
}}</ref> Another concern is contamination from [[radioisotopes]] that have entered the body before death or burial. One possible source of isotopes is [[radiation therapy]], although no accumulation of radiation occurs in the most common type of radiation therapy involving high energy [[photon]]s. However, cremation has no effect on radioisotopes other than to return them to the environment more rapidly (beginning with some spread into the air). Thus, cremation is of no overall help with pollution from this source.<ref>
{{cite journal
| last = Reinhard
| first = Urban
| year = 2002
| title = Umweltbelastung, Bodenkontamination und Gesundheitsgefährdung bei Erdbestattung?
| journal = Wasser und Boden
| volume = 54
| issue = 11
| pages = 25–30
| id = {{ISSN|0043-0951}}
| language = German
}}</ref>

Yet another environmental concern, of sorts, is that traditional burial takes up a great deal of space. In a traditional burial, the body is buried in a casket made from a variety of materials. In [[United States of America|America]], the casket is often placed inside a [[concrete]] vault or liner before burial in the ground. While individually this may not take much room, combined with other burials, it can over time cause serious space concerns. Many [[cemetery|cemeteries]], particularly in [[Japan]]<ref>
{{cite book
| title = Japan Health Handbook
| last = Shimizu
| first = Louise Picon
| coauthors = Maruyama, Meredith Enman; Tsurumaki, Nancy Smith
| isbn = 4-770-023-561
| year = 1998
| publisher = Kodansha International
| pages = p. 335
| quote = Not only is cremation of the body and internment of the ashes in an urn a long-standing Buddhist practice, it is also a highly practical idea today, given the scarcity of burial space in crowded modern Japan.
}}</ref> and [[Europe]] as well as those in larger cities, have run out, or are starting to run out, of permanent space. In [[Tokyo]], for example, traditional burial plots are extremely scarce and expensive,<ref>
{{cite book
| title = Japan: An Invitation
| last = Furse
| first = Raymond
| isbn = 0-804-833-192
| publisher = Tuttle Publishing
| pages = p. 73
| year = 2002
| quote = <nowiki>[L]</nowiki>and prices so high that a burial plot in Tokyo a mere 21 feet square could easily cost $150,000.
}}</ref> and in [[London]], a space crisis led [[Harriet Harman]] to propose reopening old graves for "double-decker" burials.<ref>{{cite news | title = Double burials in UK cemeteries to solve space shortage | last = Land | first = John | work = 24dash.com | date = 2006-05-30 | url = http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=2&newsID=6290 | accessdate = 2007-07-13}}</ref><!-- This has long been the custom in many parts of Europe, no? And what about the enormous catacomb ossuaries in Paris?-->

However, there is a growing body of research that indicates cremation has a significant impact on the environment as well:

The major emissions from crematories are [[nitrogen oxides]], [[carbon monoxide]], [[sulfur dioxide]], particulate matter, [[Mercury (element)|mercury]], [[hydrogen fluoride]] (HF), [[hydrogen chloride]] (HCl), [[NMVOC]]s, and other [[heavy metals]], in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). {{Fact|date=June 2008}}

According to the [[United Nations]] Environment Programme report on POP Emission Inventory Guidebook,<ref>EMEP/CORINAIR Atmospheric Emission Inventory Guidebook, 3rd edition, October 2002. [http://reports.eea.eu.int/EMEPCORINAIR4/en/B991vs1.1.pdf Technical report #30 Incineration of Human Bodies].</ref> emissions from crematoria contribute 0.2% of the global emission of [[dioxin]]s and [[furan]]s.

== Religious views on cremation ==
{{contradiction}}<!-- In Christian countries and cultures, cremation has typically been discouraged, but not forbidden.... but then you talk about catholics and protestants allowing it. i think the "typically been discouraged" line makes no sense. -->
=== Indian religions ===
[[Image:BangkokCrematorium.jpg|300px|thumb|Crematorium in [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]]]]
The [[Indian religions]], such as [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]], and [[Buddhism]], mandate open-air cremation. In these religions, the body is seen as an instrument to carry the [[soul]]. As an example, the [[Bhagavad Gita]] quotes, "Just as old clothes are cast off and new ones taken, the soul leaves the body after the death to take a new one." Hence, the dead body is not considered sacred, since the soul has left the body and the cremation is regarded as ethical by the Eastern religions. In [[Sikhism]], burial is not prohibited, although cremation is the preferred option for cultural reasons rather than religious. Since [[Sikhism]] has a lot of cultural similarity with [[Hinduism]], Sikhs prefer cremation. They also scatter the ashes in holy [[river]]s, like [[Hindus]].

According to [[Hindu]] traditions, the reasons for preferring to destroy the corpse by fire over burying it into ground is to induce a feeling of detachment into the freshly disembodied spirit, which will be helpful to encourage it into passing to "the other world" (the ultimate destination of the dead).<ref>{{cite book | author = Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami | title = Living With Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Culture | isbn = 0-945-497-989 | year = 2001 | publisher = Himalayan Academy | page = p. 750}}</ref> This also explains the ground burial of holy men (whose spirit is already "detached" enough due to lifelong ascetic practices) and young children (the spirit has not lived long enough to grow attachments to this world).{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Hindu [[holy men]] are buried in [[lotus position]] and not in a horizontal position, as in other religions.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Hindus have 16 rituals (Sanskars), like Name, Thread ceremony, beginning of student life, marriage, etc., and the last one is [[Cremation]]. Cremation is referred to as ''antim-samskara'', literally meaning "the last rites." At the time of the cremation or "last rites," a "Puja" (ritual worship) is performed. The holy text of [[Rigveda]], one of the oldest [[Hindu]] scriptures, has many [[Ruchas]] (small poems) related to cremation, which state that that Lord [[Agni]] (God of [[Fire]]) will purify the dead body, also known as the [[Parthiv]]. Therefore, the [[Parthiv]] is given over to him.

=== Christianity ===
{{main|Cremation in the Christian World}}

In [[Christianity|Christian]] countries and cultures, cremation has typically been discouraged, but not forbidden.

==== Roman Catholicism ====
The [[Roman Catholic Church]]'s discouragement of cremation stemmed from several ideas: first, that the body, as the instrument through which the [[sacrament]]s are received, is itself a sacramental, [[holy]] object;<ref>Davies & Mates, "Cremation, Death and Roman Catholicism", p. 107</ref> second, that as an integral part of the human person,<ref>[[St. Thomas Aquinas]], for instance, specifically rejected the notion that the human person is merely the [[soul]] "trapped" in a body. Robert Pasnau, in the introduction to his translation of ''Summa Theologiae'', says that Aquinas is "quite clear in rejecting the sort of substance dualism proposed by Plato <nowiki>[...]</nowiki> which goes so far as to identify human beings with their souls alone, as if the body were a kind of clothing that we put on," and that Aquinas believed that "we are a composite of soul and body, that a soul all by itself would not be a human being." See
{{cite book
| last = Aquinas
| first = St. Thomas
| title = Summa Theologiae 1a, 75-89
| publisher = Hackett Publishing
| isbn = 0-872-206-130
| year = 2002
| page = p. xvii
| others = trans. Pasnau
}}</ref> it should be disposed of in a way that honours and reverences it, and many early practices involved with disposal of dead bodies were viewed as [[pagan]] in origin or an insult to the body;<ref>
{{cite book
| title = Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America
| last = Prothero
| first = Stephen
| publisher = University of California Press
| isbn = 0-520-236-882
| year = 2002
| page = pp. 73-74
| quote = To the traditionalists, cremation originated among "heathens" and "pagans" and was therefore anti-Christian<nowiki>[.]</nowiki>
}}</ref> third, that in imitation of [[Jesus]] [[Christ]]'s burial, the body of a Christian should be buried; and fourth, that it constituted a denial of the resurrection of the body.<ref name="kohmescher" /> Cremation was not forbidden because it might interfere with God's ''ability'' to resurrect the body, however; this was refuted as early as [[Marcus Minucius Felix|Minucius Felix]], in his dialogue ''Octavius''.<ref>In which he said, "Every body, whether it is dried up into dust, or is dissolved into moisture, or is compressed into ashes, or is attenuated into smoke, is withdrawn from us, but it is reserved for God in the custody of the elements. Nor, as you believe, do we fear any loss from sepulture, but we adopt the ancient and better custom of burying in the earth.". The full text of ''Octavius'' is available online [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-04/anf04-34.htm from ccel.org]. See also Davies & Mates, p. 107-108.</ref>

Cremation was, in fact, not forbidden in and of itself; even in [[Medieval Europe]], cremation was practised in situations where there were multitudes of corpses simultaneously present, such as after a [[battle]], after a [[pestilence]] or [[famine]], and where there was an imminent danger of diseases spreading from the corpses, since individual burials with digging graves would take too long and body decomposition would begin before all the corpses had been interred. However, earth burial or entombment remained the law unless there were circumstances that required cremation for the public good.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

Beginning in the [[Middle Ages]], and even more so in the 18th century and later, rationalists and classicists began to advocate cremation again as a statement denying the resurrection and/or the afterlife,<ref>Prothero, p. 74-75</ref> although the pro-cremation movement more often than not took care to address and refute theological concerns about cremation in their works.<ref name="prothero-p74">Prothero, p. 74.</ref> Sentiment within the Catholic Church against cremation became hardened in the face of the association of cremation with "professed enemies of God."<ref name="prothero-p74" /> Rules were made against cremation,<ref>"The 1917 Code of Canon Law forbade the practice, and this prohibition continued until 1963."{{web cite|url= http://www.geocities.com/micmcatholic/Cremation.html|title=Cremation|work=[http://doc0mr.tripod.com/ Immaculate Heart of Mary's Hermitage]}}</ref> which were softened in the 1960s.<ref name="kohmescher" /> The Catholic Church still officially prefers the traditional burial or entombment of the deceased,<ref>Davies & Mates, "Cremation, Death and Roman Catholicism", p. 109</ref> but cremation is now freely permitted as long as it is not done to express a refusal to believe in the resurrection of the body.<ref>
See [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm#2301 Article 2301 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church].</ref>

Until 1997, Catholic liturgical regulations required that cremation take place after the funeral [[Mass]], so that, if possible, the body might be present for the Mass—the body was present as a symbol and to receive the [[blessing]]s and be the subject of [[prayer]]s in which it is mentioned. Once the Mass itself was concluded, the body could be cremated and a second service could be held at the crematorium or cemetery where the ashes were to be interred just as for a body burial. The liturgical regulations now allow for a Mass with the container of ashes present, but permission of the local [[bishop]] is needed for this{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. The Church still specifies requirements for the reverent disposition of ashes, normally that the ashes are to be buried or entombed in an appropriate container, such as an urn (rather than scattered or preserved in the family home). Catholic cemeteries today regularly receive cremated remains, and many have [[columbarium|columbaria]].

==== Protestantism ====
[[Protestant]] churches were much more welcoming of the use of cremation and at a much earlier date than the Catholic Church; pro-cremation sentiment was not unanimous among Protestants, however.<ref>Prothero, p. 77.</ref> The first crematoria in the Protestant countries were built in 1870s, and in 1908, the Dean and Chapter of [[Westminster Abbey]]—one of the most famous [[Anglican]] churches—required that remains be cremated for burial in the abbey's precincts.<ref>
Davies & Mates, "Westminster Abbey", p. 423.</ref> Scattering, or "strewing," is an acceptable practice in many Protestant denominations, and some churches have their own "garden of remembrance" on their grounds in which remains can be scattered. Other groups also support cremation. These include [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.wsahs.nsw.gov.au/services/pastoralcare/relneeds.htm#_Toc524751363
| title = Religious Needs of Patients in Sickness Dying and Death
| last = van Gent
| first = Jacob
| accessdate = 2007-02-25
}}</ref>
and the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]].

==== Eastern Orthodox and others who forbid cremation ====
On the other hand, some branches of Christianity oppose cremation, including some minority Protestant groups.<ref>
{{cite web
| title = CREMATION: What does God think?
| url = http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/cremation.htm
| first = David
| last = Cloud
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
| publisher = Way of Life Literature
}}</ref> Most notably, the [[Eastern Orthodox]] Churches forbid cremation. Exceptions are made for circumstances where it may not be avoided (when civil authority demands it, or epidemics) or if it may be sought for good cause, but when a cremation is willfully chosen for no good cause by the one who is deceased, he or she is not permitted a funeral in the church and may also be permanently excluded from liturgical prayers for the departed. In Orthodoxy, cremation is a rejection of the [[dogma]] of the general resurrection, and as such is viewed harshly.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.3saints.com/cremation.html
| title = On Cremation
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/cremation.aspx
| title = Cremation
| first = Protopresbyter George
| last = Grabbe
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
}}</ref>

==== Mormonism ====
Leaders of the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS) have said that cremation is discouraged but not forbidden; however, the church provides instructions for properly dressing the deceased who have received their temple endowments prior to cremation for those wishing to do so or in countries where the law requires it.<ref>Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 (2006). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pp 81,183-84.</ref> In the past, [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)#Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Apostle]] [[Bruce R. McConkie]]<ref>McConkie, Bruce R. ''Mormon Doctrine, A Compendium of the Gospel'', 1958</ref> wrote that "only under the most extraordinary and unusual circumstances" would cremation be consistent with LDS teachings.

=== Judaism ===
[[Judaism]] traditionally disapproved of cremation in the past (it was the traditional means of disposing the dead in the neighboring [[Bronze Age]] cultures). It has also disapproved of preservation of the dead by means of embalming and mummifying,<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.vbs.org/religious/shailos.htm
| title = SHAILOS & TSUVAS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
| first = Harold M.
| last = Schulweis
| quote = Judaism is a tradition which affirms life. It has struggled from its inception against concentration on death and the deification of the human being as exemplified in the Egyptian concern with mummification and the preservation of the body after death.
| accessdate = 2007-02-21
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| title = Judaism and Healing: Halakhic Perspectives
| first = J. David
| last = Bleich
| publisher = KTAV Publishing House
| isbn = 0-881-257-419
| pages = p. 219
}}</ref> a practice of the ancient Egyptians. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, as the Jewish cemeteries in many European towns had become crowded and were running out of space, cremation became an approved means of corpse disposal amongst the [[Liberal Judaism|Liberal Jews]]. Current liberal movements like [[Reform Judaism]] still support cremation, although burial remains the preferred option.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/faqs/life-cycle-events/cremation.html
| title = Cremation
| last = Rothschild
| first = Rabbi Walter
| quote = [W]e have no ideological conflict with the custom which is now popularly accepted by many as clean and appropriate to modern conditions.
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
}}</ref><ref name="aiken" />

The [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jews]] have maintained a stricter line on cremation, and disapprove of it as [[Halakha]] (Jewish law) forbids it. This halakhic concern is grounded in the upholding of bodily [[resurrection]] as a core belief of traditional Judaism, as opposed to other ancient trends such as the [[Sadduccees]], who denied it. [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative Jewish]] groups also oppose cremation.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.uscj.org/Cremation_in_the_Jew7234.html
| title = Cremation in the Jewish Tradition
| year = 1986
| author = Shapiro, Rabbi Morris M., Binder, Rabbi Robert (ed.)
| quote = The subsequent weight of opinion is against cremation and there is no convincing reason why we should deviate from the sacred established method of burial.
| work = The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| title = A Guide to Jewish Mourning and Condolence
| last = Rabow
| first = Jerome A.
| accessdate = 2006-02-03
| url = http://www.vbs.org/religious/mourning.htm#The%20Roles
| publisher = Valley Beth Shalom
| quote = It should be emphasized that cremation is un-questionably unacceptable to Conservative Judaism. The process of cremation would substitute an artificial and "instant" destruction for the natural process of decay and would have the disposition of the remains subject to manipulation by the survivors rather than submit to the universal processes of nature.
}}</ref>

Some secular Jews may reject cremation perhaps in reaction to [[The Holocaust]], in which the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide were disposed of by cremation at the [[Nazi concentration camps|death camps]]. At many former Nazi death camps, mounds of ashes are present beneath a shallow layer of dirt.

=== Zoroastrianism ===
Traditionally, [[Zoroastrianism]] disavows cremation or burial to preclude pollution of fire or earth. The traditional method of corpse disposal is through ritual exposure in a "[[Tower of Silence]]," but both burial and cremation are increasingly popular alternatives. Some contemporary figures of the faith have opted for cremation. [[Parsi people|Parsi]]-[[Zoroastrian]] singer [[Freddie Mercury]] of the group [[Queen (band)|Queen]] was cremated after his death.

=== Neopaganism ===
Of modern [[Neo-Pagan]] religions, [[Ásatrú]] favours cremation, as do forms of [[Celtic polytheism|Celtic Paganism]].{{Fact|date=August 2008}}

=== Other religions that permit cremation ===
[[Ásatrú]], [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]] (containing [[Church of Ireland]], [[Church in Wales]], [[United Church of Canada]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Lutheranism]], [[Methodism]], [[Moravian Church]], [[Salvation Army]], [[Scottish Episcopal Church]]), [[Christian Science]], [[Hinduism]] (mandatory except for [[sanyasi]]s, eunuchs and children under five), [[Jainism]], [[Shinto]], [[Sikh]]s, [[Society of Friends]] (Quakers), and [[Unitarian Universalism]] all permit cremation.

=== Other religions that forbid cremation ===
[[Islam]] forbids cremation and Muslims are [[Islamic funeral|buried after death]]. The [[Bahá'í]] Faith forbids cremation. [[Neo-Confucianism]] under [[Zhu Xi]] strongly discourages cremation of one's parents' corpses as [[filial piety|unfilial]]. In Egyptian Reconstructionism, it is believed the [[Egyptian_soul|Ka]] will be killed with cremation, but it is not forbidden—and during ancient times, was a practice of disposing of criminals who were executed in order for them to be deprived of an afterlife.

== History ==
=== Ancient ===
Cremation dates to at least 20,000 years ago in the archaeological record with the [[Mungo Lady]], the remains of a partly cremated body found at [[Mungo Lake]], [[Australia]].

Alternative death rituals emphasizing one method of disposal of a body—inhumation (burial), cremation, and exposure—have gone through periods of preference throughout history.

In the Middle East and Europe, both burial and cremation are evident in the archaeological record in the [[Neolithic]]. Cultural groups had their own preference and prohibitions. The ancient Egyptians developed an intricate transmigration of soul theology, which prohibited cremation, and this was adopted widely among other Semitic peoples. The Babylonians, according to [[Herodotus]], embalmed their dead. Early Persians practiced cremation, but this became prohibited during the [[Zoroastrian]] Period. Phoenicians practiced both cremation and burial. From the [[Cycladic civilisation ]]in 3000 BC until the Hypo-[[Mycenaean]] era in 1200–1100 B.C., [[Greeks]] practiced inhumation. Cremation appearing around the 11th century B.C. constitutes a new practice of burial and is probably an influence from Minor Asia. Until the Christian era, when the inhumation becomes again the only burial practice, both combustion and inhumation had been practiced depending on the era, and area.<ref>http://www.ims.forth.gr/joint_projects/e-mem/burial_customs-gr.htm#archaic</ref> Romans practiced both, with cremation generally associated with military honours.

In Europe, there are traces of cremation dating to the Early [[Bronze Age]] (ca. 2000 B.C.) in the [[Pannonian Plain]] and along the middle [[Danube]]. The custom becomes dominant throughout Bronze Age Europe with the [[Urnfield culture]] (from ca. 1300 B.C.). In the [[Iron Age]], [[inhumation]] becomes again more common, but cremation persisted in the [[Villanovan culture]] and elsewhere. [[Homer]]'s account of [[Patroclus]]' burial describes cremation with subsequent burial in a [[tumulus]] similar to Urnfield burials, qualifying as the earliest description of cremation rites. This is mostly an anachronism, as during Mycenaean times burial was generally preferred, and Homer may have been reflecting more common use of cremation in the period in which the Iliad was written centuries later.

Criticism of burial rites is a common aspersion in competing religions and cultures, and one is the association of cremation with [[fire sacrifice]] or [[human sacrifice]].

[[Hinduism]] and [[Jainism]] are notable for not only allowing but prescribing cremation. Cremation in India is first attested in the [[Cemetery H culture]] (from ca. 1900 B.C.), considered the formative stage of [[Vedic civilization]]. The [[Rigveda]] contains a reference to the emerging practice, in [[RV 10]].15.14, where the forefathers "both cremated (''agnidagdhá-'') and uncremated (''ánagnidagdha-'')" are invoked.

Cremation remained common, but not universal, in both [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]]. According to [[Cicero]], in Rome, inhumation was considered the more archaic rite, while the most honoured citizens were most typically cremated—especially upper classes and members of imperial families.

[[Christianity]] frowned upon cremation, both influenced by the tenets of Judaism, and in an attempt to abolish [[Graeco-Roman paganism|Graeco-Roman pagan]] rituals. By the 5th century, the practice of cremation had practically disappeared from Europe.

In early [[Roman Britain]], cremation was usual but diminished by the fourth century. It then reappeared in the fifth and sixth centuries during the migration era, when sacrificed animals were sometimes included with the human bodies on the pyre, and the deceased were dressed in costume and with ornaments for the burning. That custom was also very widespread among the Germanic peoples of the northern continental lands from which the [[Anglo-Saxon]] migrants are supposed to have been derived, during the same period. These ashes were usually thereafter deposited in a vessel of clay or bronze in an "urn cemetery." The custom again died out with the Christian conversion among the Anglo-Saxons or Early English during the seventh century, when inhumation of the corpse became general.<ref>S.J. Plunkett, ''Suffolk in Anglo-Saxon Times'', 1-62.</ref>

=== In the Middle Ages ===
Throughout parts of Europe, cremation was forbidden by law, and even punishable by death if combined with [[Germanic paganism|Heathen]] rites.<ref>{{cite book| title = A History of the Church | last = von Döllinger | first = Johann Joseph Ignaz | publisher = C. Dolman and T. Jomes | year = 1841 | pages = p. 9 | quote = The punishment of death was inflicted on the refusal of baptism, on the heathen practice of burning the dead, and on the violation of the days of fasting<nowiki>[...]</nowiki>}}</ref> Cremation was sometimes used by authorities as part of punishment for heretics, and this did not only include burning at the stake. For example, the body of [[John Wycliff]] was exhumed years after his death and cremated, with the ashes thrown in a river,<ref>
{{cite book
| title = Curious Tales of Old North Yorkshire
| first = Howard
| last = Peach
| isbn = 1-850-587-930
| publisher = Sigma Leisure
| pages = p. 98
}}</ref> explicitly as a posthumous punishment for his denial of the [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] doctrine of [[transubstantiation]].<ref>
{{cite book
| title = How Christianity Changed the World
| first = Dr. Alvin J.
| last = Schmidt
| isbn = 0-310-264-499
| publisher = Zondervan
| pages = p. 261
}}</ref> On the other hand, mass cremations were often performed out of necessity, when there was a danger of contagious diseases, such as after a battle, pestilence, or famine. Retributory cremation continued into modern times. For example, after World War II, the bodies of the 12 men convicted of crimes against humanity at the [[Nuremberg Trials]] were not returned to their families, but were instead cremated, then disposed of at a secret location as a specific part of a legal process intended to deny their use as a location for any sort of memorial.<ref>

{{cite journal
| title = On the Disposal of Dictators
| last = Matus
| first = Victor
| issue = 134
| journal = Policy Review
| url = http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/2920421.html
| accessdate = 2007-03-08
}}</ref> In Japan, however, erection of a memorial building for many executed war criminals, who were also cremated, was allowed for their remains.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/08/13/japan.shrine/
| title = Where war criminals are venerated
| work = CNN.com
| accessdate = 2007-02-20
}}</ref>
Many [[Communism|Communist]] countries used similar obliteration as an aggravated capital punishment; the bodies of the executed were cremated and the ashes ignominiously disposed, thus humiliating the families even further.

Even today, cremation bears the stigma of "human waste disposal" in many ex-Socialist countries and is considered ignominious or shameful.

=== The modern era===

In 1873, [[Padua]]n Professor Brunetti presented a cremation chamber at the Vienna Exposition. In Britain, the movement found the support of [[Queen Victoria]]'s surgeon, Sir [[Henry Thompson]], who together with colleagues founded the Cremation Society of England in 1874. The first crematoria in Europe were built in 1878 in [[Woking]], England and [[Gotha (town)|Gotha]], Germany, the first in North America in 1876 by Dr. [[Francis Julius LeMoyne]] in [[Washington, Pennsylvania]]. The second cremation in the United States was that of [[Charles F. Winslow]] in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]] on [[July 31]] [[1877]]. The first cremation in Britain took place on 26th March 1886 at Woking.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/this_day_in_history/this_day_March_26.php
| author = The History Channel
| title = 26th March - This day in history
| accessdate = 2007-02-20
}}</ref>

Cremation was declared as legal in England and Wales when [[William Price (doctor)|Dr William Price]] was prosecuted for cremating his son;<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/15/1032054710047.html?oneclick=true
| title = Druid doc with a bee in his bonnet
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
| first = Tim
| last = Harris
| work = theage.com.au
| date = 2002-09-16
}}</ref> formal legislation followed later with the passing of the Cremation Act 1902, (this Act did not extend to Ireland) which imposed procedural requirements before a cremation could occur and restricted the practice to authorised places.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.srgw.demon.co.uk/CremSoc3/StatutoryLaw/CAct1902.html
| title = Cremation Act, 1902
| accessdate = 2007-02-03
}}</ref> Some of the various Protestant churches came to accept cremation, with the rationale being, "God can resurrect a bowl of ashes just as conveniently as he can resurrect a bowl of dust". The 1908 [[Catholic Encyclopedia]] was critical about these efforts, referring to them as a "sinister movement" and associating them with [[Freemasonry]], although it said that "there is nothing directly opposed to any dogma of the Church in the practice of cremation".<ref>
{{cite encyclopedia
| encyclopedia = Catholic Encyclopedia
| title = Cremation
| publisher = The Encyclopedia Press
| url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04481c.htm
| quote = In conclusion, it must be remembered that there is nothing directly opposed to any dogma of the Church in the practice of cremation, and that, if ever the leaders of this sinister movement so far control the governments of the world as to make this custom universal, it would not be a lapse in the faith confided to her were she obliged to conform.
}}</ref> In 1963, [[Pope Paul VI]] lifted the ban on cremation,<ref name="kohmescher">
{{cite book
| title = Catholicism Today: A Survey of Catholic Belief and Practice
| last = Kohmescher
| first = Matthew F.
| isbn = 0-809-138-735
| publisher = Paulist Press
| year = 1999
| pages = pp. 178-179
}}</ref> and in 1966 allowed Catholic priests to [[officiate]] at cremation ceremonies.

[[Australia]] also started to establish modern cremation movements and societies. Australians had their first purpose-built modern crematorium and chapel in the [[West Terrace Cemetery]] in the [[South Australia]]n capital [[Adelaide]] in 1901. This small building, resembling the buildings at [[Woking]], remained largely unchanged from its 19th century style and in full operation until the late 1950s. The oldest operating Crematorium in [[Australia]] is at [[Rookwood]] in [[Sydney]]. It opened in 1925.

In [[the Netherlands]], the foundation of the Association for Optional Cremation<ref>Dutch, ''Vereniging voor Facultatieve Lijkverbranding''</ref> in 1874 ushered in a long debate about the merits and demerits of cremation. Laws against cremation were challenged and invalidated in 1915 (two years after the construction of the first crematorium in the Netherlands), though cremation did not become legally recognised until 1955.<ref>{{cite book | title = Architectuurgids Nederland | last = Groenendijk | first = Paul | coauthors = Vollaard, Piet | year = 2006 | publisher = 010 Publishers | isbn = 9-064-505-73X | pages = p. 213}}</ref>

== Negative experiences with cremation in recent history ==
=== World War II ===
During the [[Holocaust]], massive crematoria were constructed and operated by the [[Nazis]] within their [[concentration camp]]s and [[extermination camp]]s to dispose of the bodies of thousands of [[Jew]]s, [[Roma (people)|Gypsies]], and other prisoners who were killed or died in the camps daily {{Fact|date=May 2008}}. In addition to the atrocity of [[mass murder]], the remains of Jews were thus disposed of in a manner deeply offensive to [[Orthodox Judaism]] because [[Halakha]], the Jewish law, forbids cremation and additionally holds that it is painful to the soul of a cremated person. This is because the soul of recently dead person is not fully aware that they died, and they experience seeing their body burnt (this is also one of the reasons autopsies are forbidden under normal circumstances). In a normal burial as the body decays slowly the soul moves "farther" from it gradually. Since then, cremation has carried an extremely negative connotation for many Jews.

=== The Tri-State Crematory incident ===
A recent controversial event, known as the [[Tri-State Crematory|Tri-State Crematory Incident]], involved the ''failure'' to cremate. In the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] in the United States in early 2002, three hundred thirty-four corpses that were supposed to have been cremated in the previous few years at the Tri-State Crematory were found intact and decaying on the crematorium's grounds, having been dumped there by the crematorium's proprietor. Many of the corpses were beyond identification. In many cases the "ashes" that were returned to the family were not human remains - they were made of wood and concrete dust.

Eventually Ray Brent Marsh&mdash;who was the operator at the time the bodies were discovered&mdash;had 787 criminal charges filed against him. On [[November 19]], [[2004]] Marsh pleaded guilty to all charges. Marsh was sentenced to two 12-year prison sentences from both [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[Tennessee (U.S. state)|Tennessee]] which he is serving concurrently. Afterwards he will be on probation for 75 years.

Civil suits were filed against the Marsh family as well as a number of funeral homes who shipped bodies to Tri-State. These suits were ultimately settled. The property of the Marsh family has been sold, but collection of the full $80 million judgment remains doubtful. Families have expressed the desire to return the former Tri-State crematory to a natural, park like setting.

=== The Indian Ocean tsunamis ===
The [[Moment magnitude scale|magnitude]] 9.0-9.3 <!-- NOT THE RICHTER SCALE! --> [[2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake]] triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on [[December 26]], [[2004]] that killed almost 300,000 people, making them the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history. The tsunamis killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of the quake in [[Indonesia]], [[Thailand]], and the north-western coast of [[Malaysia]], to thousands of kilometers away in [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], the [[Maldives]], and even as far as [[Somalia]], [[Kenya]], and [[Tanzania]] in eastern [[Africa]].

Authorities had difficulties dealing with the large numbers of bodies, and as a result thousands of bodies were of necessity cremated together. Many of these bodies were not identified or viewed by relatives prior to cremation. A particular point of objection was that the bodies of Westerners were kept separate from those of [[Asian people|Asian]] descent, who were mostly locals. This meant that the bodies of tourists from other Asian nations, such as [[Japan]] and [[Korea]], were mass cremated rather than being returned to their country of origin for funeral rites.

== See also ==
*[[Burial]]
*[[Space burial|Burial in space]]
*[[Death]]
*[[Funeral]]
* A [[holocaust (sacrifice)|holocaust]] is a religious sacrifice that is completely consumed by fire
*[[Immolation]]
*[[Resomation]]
*[[Promession]]
*[[Sati (practice)|Sati]] (also suttee) is a Hindu funeral custom in which the dead man's widow used to immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre
*[[William Price (doctor)|Dr William Price]] is the eccentric [[Wales|Welsh]] physician whose prosecution confirmed the legality of cremation in [[England and Wales]]


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
==External links==
* [http://www.odlemiddleschool.org School site]
{{Commons|Cremation}}
* [http://www.bsd405.org/Default.aspx?tabid=127 District site]
* [http://www.cremation.com/ Local Cremation Provider Directory - Cremation.com]
* [http://www.thefuneralsite.com Options for disposition of cremated remains - TheFuneralSite.com]
* [http://www.scatteringbyair.com/ Scatterings - airborne release of cremated remains] - San Francisco, Monterey, Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe
* [http://www.cremationassociation.org/ Cremation Association of North America]
* [http://www.crematorium.eu crematorium.eu] - Crematory in Europe
* [http://www.architexturez.net/+/subject-listing/000206.shtml A modern electrical crematorium in India]
* [http://www.cremation.org/ Internet Cremation Society]
* [http://www.crematorydirectory.com American Crematory Association]
* [http://www.everlifememorials.com/v/urns/urns-memorialization.htm A Guide to Cremation Memorialization]
* [http://www.spiritofthepacific.net/ Spreading of cremated remains via aircraft] - Northern California, Ocean and Mountain Areas
{{Death}}


{{Bellevue School District}}
[[Category:Death customs]]
[[Category:Incineration]]
[[Category:Fire]]


[[Category:Middle schools in Washington]]
[[af:Verassing]]
[[Category:Blue Ribbon schools in Washington]]
[[cs:Krematorium]]
[[Category:Bellevue, Washington]]
[[da:Ligbrænding]]
[[de:Feuerbestattung]]
[[es:Cremación]]
[[fa:خاکستر کردن]]
[[fr:Crémation]]
[[id:Kremasi]]
[[it:Cremazione]]
[[he:שריפת גוויה]]
[[nl:Crematie]]
[[ja:火葬]]
[[no:Krematorium]]
[[pl:Kremacja]]
[[pt:Cremação]]
[[ru:Крематорий]]
[[simple:Cremation]]
[[fi:Tuhkaus]]
[[sv:Kremering]]
[[tr:Krematoryum]]
[[uk:Крематорій]]
[[zh:火葬]]

Revision as of 22:54, 9 October 2008

Odle Middle School
Location
Map
14401 NE 8th Street
Bellevue, WA 98007
Information
TypePublic Middle School
School districtBellevue School District
PrincipalJerry Schaefer
Faculty33.7 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades6 - 8
Enrollment690 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Student to teacher ratio20.5[1]
Color(s)Red, Blue
NicknameVikings
Information425-456-6600
WebsiteSchool website

Odle Middle School is a public middle school in Bellevue, Washington, USA. The school is part of the Bellevue School District, and is named for Frank Odle, who taught there 55 years before retiring in 1968.[2][3] As of the 2007-08 school year, the school principal is Jerry Schaefer.

In 2001-02, Odle Middle School was one of the two schools in the state to be awarded a Blue Ribbon by the U.S. Department of Education.[4][5][6] This the highest award an American school can receive.[7][8]

Demographics

As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 665 students and 33.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 20.5.[1] 41% of the students are Caucasian and 37% Asian/Pacific Islander.[9]

Extracurricular awards

Odle Middle School earned first place in the national K-8 chess championship.[10] [11][12] The chess team has also claimed first place in the Washington Middle School Team Championship for the school years 2007-2008, 2006-2007[13], and 2005-2006. One student, named Michael Lee, aged just 14, in the program has a National Master rating from the United States Chess Federation.[14]

In addition, students Kevin Liu, Joshua Zhu, Charles Lu, and Alex Tang scored in the top 10 individually in the Washington State Math Championships. PRISM student Shijie Joy Zheng was part of the Washington State MATHCOUNTS team that placed 7th nationally in May 2007.[15]

Students received 1st place in the Washington State Math Championship for 6th and 7th grades in 2007. Odle Middle School's Future Problem Solving Club, led by teacher Debby Benzinger, received 5th place in the Future Problem Solving Program International Competition in 2007.[citation needed]

The Knowledge Masters Open Team, also led by teacher Debby Benzinger, placed first in Washington State and 31st worldwide in Fall 2007. [16] In Spring 2008, they placed first in state as well as 12thth international.[17]

PRISM

The PRISM program is part of the Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) program offered in the Bellevue School District for grades 1-12.[18] The district superintendent said in February 2006 "The only other program that we know of like this is in Australia".[19] PRISM at Odle Middle School continues the curriculum acceleration from Stevenson Elementary School and continues into the experimental G.A.T.E. program at Interlake High School. PRISM is a selective program; applicants need a minimum score of 144 on the Cognitive Abilities Test. Reading and Quantitative scores must be of the 90th percentile or higher, one of which must be at or above the 97th percentile.

The program consists of separate core classes in science, math, language arts, and social studies. The curriculum for science consists of two years of Integrated Science. Language arts and social studies classes are combined into a two-class block.[clarification needed]

The high school program, which is in its first year of implementation in the 2006-2007 school year, extends the science, English, and social studies classes further in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Interlake High School. In the IB program, PRISM students complete the IB diploma during 10th and 11th grade, rather than the usual 11th and 12th grade. The University of Washington provides special classes for PRISM students in their senior year when they have enough credits to graduate early.

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts offers classes in Theater Arts, Academy Visual Art, Academy Orchestra, Academy Band, Academy Choir, Academy Dance, and Photography.[20] Academy courses are more rigorous classes than normal classes.[citation needed]

Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology

In the Academy of Math, Science, and Applied Technology students spend a two-period block each day working on Academy projects. At Odle, in spring 2003, 76 percent of eighth-graders met standards in science, one of the highest success rates in the Seattle Metropolitan area. This success was attributed by then principal Kenneth Lyon to this academy since 96.3 percent of the 54 eighth-graders in the academy succeeded on the science Washington Assessment of Student Learning.[21]

Other programs

Service Club

Service Club is an after-school program ran by Jana Sparks and Amber Anderson, where kids help the school by doing things like posters for events or raise money. The Service Club also raises money for programs like the Humane Society. Service Club has gone to visit retirement homes to give the elderly comfort.[citation needed]

Jazz band

Odle's jazz band is run by the school's band instructor, Barry Roberts. They practice daily in the morning for 35 minutes, practicing various genres of pieces. They attend local competitions as well as the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho. In addition, Barry Roberts also offers a second jazz band for all ages and instruments which practices once weekly after school.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b c d [1], National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed 7 October 2008.
  2. ^ Cornwall, Warren (2003-10-23). "Some who shaped Bellevue". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2008-02-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ http://www.scn.org/bellehist/bsd8.html Bellevue School District Timeline, Retrieved on 2008-02-25
  4. ^ "Bellevue middle school receives national recognition", Washington State School Directors' Association, May 29, 2002.
  5. ^ "BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002" (pdf). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2008-02-25. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized - 2003 Through 2006 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  7. ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  8. ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  9. ^ "Odle Middle School", School Tree.org, accessed 7 October 2008
  10. ^ "1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville" (Press release). United States Chess Federation. 2006-04-12. Retrieved 2006-02-25. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "National News, 1123 Young Chess Enthusiasts in Louisville", Chess Review Online, The Newsletter of the United States Chess Federation, 3 (13), 2006-04-13 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  12. ^ 2006 Tournament Chess News
  13. ^ http://www.alchess.com/chess/07/jhs/?page=TEAM&xsection=K8 accessed 2008-02-25
  14. ^ Mulady, Kathy (2008-02-17), National chess master at 14, retrieved 2008-02-25 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  15. ^ "Toddler run over by car, killed", Seattle Times, May 15, 2007
  16. ^ [2], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Fall 2007 Middle School Division.
  17. ^ [3], Knowledge Masters Open Results for Spring 2008 Middle School Division.
  18. ^ "Gifted Programs", BelleVue school District, accessed 25 February 2008'
  19. ^ "Fast track at Gifted High", Rachel Tuinstra, Seattle Times, February 22, 2006
  20. ^ "Special Offerings at Odle", Bellevue School District, accessed 27 February 2008
  21. ^ "WASL science results poor", GREGORY ROBERTS,SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, October 18, 2003

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cremation&oldid=244243652"