Desmond Tutu’s body will be submerged in water, an environmentally friendly form of cremation: NPR

Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at St Mary’s Church in Johannesburg 2016. Tutu is an advocate for human rights and the environment. He asked to be buried in a cheap pine coffin and without lavish funeral services.

Denis Farrell / AP

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Denis Farrell / AP

Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at St Mary’s Church in Johannesburg 2016. Tutu is an advocate for human rights and the environment. He asked to be buried in a cheap pine coffin and without lavish funeral services.

Denis Farrell / AP

Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid leader and emeritus archbishop of Anglicans, died last Sunday in Cape Town, South Africa. Despite his monumental status, he requested a modest farewell in a pine coffin without spending too much luxury on services. And in his final act as an environmentalist, his remains will be soaked in water, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cremation.

Tutu’s ashes will be interred at St. George in Cape Town, BBC reported on Saturday. But before his remains can be laid to rest, they must first undergo a process called immersion.

Scientifically, this process is called alkaline hydrolysis. Based on Bio-Response Solutions, an Indiana-based company that specializes in aquaculture services, goes through the same process as if it were buried in the ground.

Water, alkaline chemicals and heat are used to accelerate the natural decomposition process. The body is loaded into a stainless steel vessel and filled with a mixture of 95% water and 5% alkali. The mixture is heated to 200-300 degrees F and circulated gently for 6-8 hours.

By comparison, traditional cremation uses temperatures as high as 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit and takes about two hours.

Only the skeleton remains at the end of both the water burial and cremation process, according to North American Cremation Association. From there, the bones are broken down into a fine powder or dust and placed in a jar.

One of the biggest benefits of aquaculture is its minimal impact on the environment. The process doesn’t use any fossil fuels and is more than 90 percent more energy efficient than standard cremation, says Bio-Response Solutions.

Besides fighting for human rights, Tutu is determined to protect the planet. Very Father Michael Weeder, rector of St. George, said Tutu aspires to be an “eco-warrior”, BBC reported.

One notification from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Heritage Foundation after the archbishop’s death said he “has campaigned vigorously for more gentle stewardship of the Earth, and to combat the impending ravages of climate change.”