Please note that this interview was recorded some time ago, so some of the information you’ll hear is out of date. That’s my fault, not theirs; it was accurate at the time of the recording. To update you as of August 2024, Recompose has composted 450 people, and 12 states, including California, have legalized the process.

Over a year ago, I had the idea to do a short series on how to have a legacy of sustainability. Dying is a messy business: we leave behind so much stuff, including a body. So the question I wanted to ask and hopefully answer was: Is there a way to leave life a bit more gently?

Turns out, there absolutely are ways. Sadly, we couldn’t find a sponsor for the series - which I wanted to title “Going Green” but was overruled by my team - and ultimately it didn’t get made. However, we did have a couple of amazing interviews along the way, one of which is this one.

Katrina Spade is one of those people whose LinkedIn profile makes you wonder what you’ve been doing with your time. She is the founder and CEO of Recompose, the first human-composting funeral home in the United States. To make Recompose possible, she also spearheaded the human composting movement, convincing legislators of the wisdom of a more natural, sustainable exit from Earth.

In getting human composting accepted in Washington state, Katrina worked with Washington State Senator Jaime Pedersen, and Washington became the first state to allow its citizens this option.

Sadly, I had to work with Recompose personally when my father passed away in October of 2023, and I can tell you, the process is as gentle and respectful as anyone could wish, and I couldn’t be more grateful to Katrina and her team.

The interview you’re about to hear features Ross Reynolds as the interviewer, and he questions Katrina and Jaime on the process of getting human composting legalized, why it’s far and away the most sustainable choice, and how it works.

Find out more about Katrina Spade and Recompose on the Recompose website: https://recompose.life/

Learn more about Senator Jamie Pedersen at the Senate Democrats website: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/pedersen/.

Connect with the interview-master, golden-voiced Ross Reynolds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossrey/.

This is, as they say, a Very Personal Episode™. In April of 2022, I lost my life partner of 17 years. It was every kind of horrible, as such things are, and I was lucky to have a solid bulwark of family and friends.

Additionally, I'll always be grateful to Earth™ for their amazing service during this time. Richard hadn't committed his preferences to paper, but I knew what they were. He wanted to leave the earth gently, no coffin, no chemicals, so I contacted Earth, and they took it — and him — from there.

Science, technology, innovation, and compassion don't always line up as neatly as we'd like. This is one of those magical moments when they do. Please take a moment to hear from Earth co-founder & COO Carolyn Maezes. Check out their website, which even includes a glossary of terms to help us avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

Then, if you're like Richard and me and want your final goodbye to be a gentle one, consider signing up if you can or advocating for soil transformation in your state.

Earth phone number: 877-327-4109

Opening music by Danail Draganov from Storyblocks.

It's Earth Month, and Earth Day is just two days away, on April 22. Climate change is already affecting us all, but some are definitely more affected than others.

Access to healthy food and clean air and water isn't universal around the globe. While some live in food privilege, others definitely don't, and the global climate crisis is increasing that gap exponentially.

It's always an honor and a pleasure to talk with experts who know so much but are eager to learn more and share what they know with the rest of us.

Mary Purdy and Sofia Cavalleri are two such experts, and even though the topic is a rough one, they share expertise, enthusiasm, and most vitally, hope.

Please listen in on our conversation about food, equity, nutrition, sustainability, justice, conservation, and hope.

You can find more from Mary Purdy on her website, and please do, as she has a ton of wonderful resources. https://marypurdy.co/

You can find Sofia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-cavalleri-740812145/ and you can learn more about SEI Asia on their website: https://www.sei.org/centres/asia/

As ever, if you think a podcast or other audio could support your business or organization, sign up for a free consult with us. We promise to share value; not (just) a sales pitch. https://audiotocracy.com/contact/