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Will Covid-19 Cause Us To Run Out of Space To Bury The Dead?
Cemeteries are everywhere, but is there room?
During a pandemic, like the Covid-19 outbreak that we are experiencing, there are questions that come to the surface, that we normally don’t consider. As social distancing goes into full effect, large portions of the world are quarantined, and funerals are being closed to the public we are forced to consider new questions.
One of them: Will the world run out of space to bury people?
Looking around we can discover one thing…
Cemeteries are everywhere.
They are scattered across country and cityscapes from one town to the next all around the world.
Will the finite amount of real estate we have on earth be filled with caskets and monuments as the world grows ever more populated?
We go to the cemetery for many reasons: to bury our dead, to mourn, to grieve, to spend time remembering those that were lost. These visits serve many essential purposes for the human condition, but how much space are we giving up for that opportunity? Do cemeteries take up that much space? Will we eventually run out of space to bury people?
Let’s start by breaking down the question. According to the population clock at census.gov, the world…
