The top official in the American state of Washington has approved a new way of dealing with human remains. The law permits approved businesses to compost them: in other words, to turn bodies into dirt. Until now, states have permitted bodies only to be buried or burned. Governor Jay Inslee says the law came about because of his neighbor. Her name is Katrina Spade. While she was a graduate student in architecture, Spade began researching the funeral industry. She did not like its usual ways of burying or burning bodies. She wondered if Americans could deal with human remains similar to the way farmers deal with animal remains. In time, Spade found that human bodies would decompose quickly in a container filled with small pieces of wood, alfalfa and straw. Last year, Washington State University tested the idea on six bodies. And it worked. Spade now has a business that lets people choose to compost their bodies. The idea is for bodies to stay for 30 days in closed containers. During that time, they will turn into enough dirt to fill a small pickup truck. Friends and family may then take the dirt and spread it in a place that is special to them or use it to plant vegetables or a tree.
Title: US State Tries New Way to Deal With Human Remains
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/48be1871-88b0-4cd4-9656-555cb852b0df_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US State Tries New Way to Deal With Human Remains' data-article-id='3868'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11146'>The top official in the American state of Washington has approved a new way of dealing with human remains.</span> <span data-start-time='11146' data-end-time='22688'>The law permits approved businesses to compost them: in other words, to turn bodies into dirt.</span> <span data-start-time='22688' data-end-time='30750'>Until now, states have permitted bodies only to be buried or burned.</span> <span data-start-time='30750' data-end-time='37938'>Governor Jay Inslee says the law came about because of his neighbor.</span> <span data-start-time='37938' data-end-time='41479'>Her name is Katrina Spade.</span> <span data-start-time='41479' data-end-time='50667'>While she was a graduate student in architecture, Spade began researching the funeral industry.</span> <span data-start-time='50667' data-end-time='58083'>She did not like its usual ways of burying or burning bodies.</span> <span data-start-time='58083' data-end-time='69188'>She wondered if Americans could deal with human remains similar to the way farmers deal with animal remains.</span> <span data-start-time='69188' data-end-time='84521'>In time, Spade found that human bodies would decompose quickly in a container filled with small pieces of wood, alfalfa and straw.</span> <span data-start-time='84521' data-end-time='93104'>Last year, Washington State University tested the idea on six bodies.</span> <span data-start-time='93104' data-end-time='95000'>And it worked.</span> <span data-start-time='95000' data-end-time='102604'>Spade now has a business that lets people choose to compost their bodies.</span> <span data-start-time='102604' data-end-time='110438'>The idea is for bodies to stay for 30 days in closed containers.</span> <span data-start-time='110438' data-end-time='118563'>During that time, they will turn into enough dirt to fill a small pickup truck.</span> <span data-start-time='118563' data-end-time='132958'>Friends and family may then take the dirt and spread it in a place that is special to them or use it to plant vegetables or a tree.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/4C222689-4869-45F2-8C80-BAD2719AA955_cx0_cy19_cw0_w1023_r1_s.png'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=12946 data-hint-location='11146' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/what_is_compost.wav'>What is compost?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a decayed mixture that is used to improve the soil in a garden'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/a_decayed_mixture_that_is_used_to_improve_the_soil_in_a_garden.wav'><span>a decayed mixture that is used to improve the soil in a garden</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/a_brand_of_luxury_car.wav'><span>a brand of luxury car</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/a_suitcase.wav'><span>a suitcase</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/a_traditional_holiday_meal.wav'><span>a traditional holiday meal</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=12947 data-hint-location='84521' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/last_year_washington_state_university_tested_the_idea_on_six_what.wav'>Last year, Washington State University tested the idea on six what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='bodies'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/farms.wav'><span>farms</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/cows.wav'><span>cows</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/pictures.wav'><span>pictures</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/bodies.wav'><span>bodies</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=12948 data-hint-location='118563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/friends_and_family_may_then_take_the_dirt_and_spread_it_in_a_place_that_is_special_to_them_or_use_it_to_plant_vegetables_or_a__blank_.wav'>Friends and family may then take the dirt and spread it in a place that is special to them or use it to plant vegetables or a <span class='blank'>tree</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='tree'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/phone.wav'><span>phone</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/bird.wav'><span>bird</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/tree.wav'><span>tree</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3355/computer.wav'><span>computer</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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