The Ecological Impact of the Funeral Industry with Sandy Gibson

On this podcast we talk a lot about sustainability and reframing
the conversation around topics that seem sort of “certain.” 


It is said that the only things certain in life are death and
taxes. 


Death, by definition, is not sustainable - or is it? 


In America, the funeral industry is costly and environmentally
destructive.


This is not the most comfortable conversation for many of
us.  We don’t want to think about death.  But, as my
guest today, Sandy Gibson, founder of Better Place
Forests, shares with us, death is a sacred part of life
and when we reframe the conversation about the ritual of funerals
in the context of creating a sacred space for remembering, we can
explore healthier and more sustainable options for all the phases
of life.


Sandy Gibson is a man on a mission - a person with a clear Chief
Aim and the passion and directive to fulfill it.  I have to
say that, while I was curious about having a conversation about
the funeral industry and exploring more sustainable ways of
honoring our loved ones, I was deeply impacted by Sandy’s
personal journey with death - and life.


Obviously, the journey of processing a loss and turning it into
some kind of greater purpose takes time. What Sandy so
beautifully shared with his story is that tragedy, as painful as
it can be in the moment - and the moments following - can also
bring the seeds of purpose.


Viktor Frankl, the Holocaust survivor and author of the book,
Man’s Search for Meaning, stated that “In some ways suffering
ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” 


Sandy Gibson has done just that.  He has turned the
narrative around grief into a conversation about the sacredness
of loss and turned the business of dying into an act of honoring
in a sustainable and sacred way. 


Perhaps the journey we take with death might seem less tragic if
we fully embrace - with intent and purpose - the experience of
Life.


Sandy Gibson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Better Place Forests, a
sustainable alternative to cemeteries for families who choose
cremation. 


When Sandy was a young boy, he lost his father to a stroke and
his mother to cancer. After years of visiting their graves in a
dreary Toronto cemetery, Sandy began to imagine what a better
place to remember his parents might look like. In 2015, he
founded Better Place Forests with his two best friends to give
every family the chance to visit and remember the people they
love in nature. 


Based in San Francisco, Better Place Forests launched America’s
first conservation memorial forests in 2017. Better Place Forests
has been featured in the New York Times, on the Today Show, and
by the World Economic Forum. Known for its strong culture,
Comparably recognized Better Place Forests with national awards
for Best Company Leadership, Best CEOs for Women, Best Company
Culture, Best CEOs, and Best Companies for Women in 2019 and
2020. 


Sandy graduated from Princeton University in 2006 with an A.B. in
History. A lifelong entrepreneur, he headed several companies and
worked in finance and software before founding Better Place
Forests. He previously served on the Board of Governors of Royal
St. George’s College.


 Website: 
https://www.betterplaceforests.com/


Follow Better Place Forests on Social Media:


Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/betterplaceforests/


Instagram: @betterplaceforests,
https://www.instagram.com/betterplaceforests/


Please be sure to subscribe to the Quantum Revolution podcast on
your favorite platform or on our website
at www.quantumrevolutionpodcast.com so you don’t miss any of
the amazing shows we have in store for you.  Next episode,
we will be talking with Dr. Gerald Pollack about
the structure of water.


Learn more about remembering the truth of you are and get your
free Quantum Human Design Chart at
https://freehumandesignchart.com/ 


Produced by Number Three
Productions, www.numberthreeproductions.com