Random Thoughts - "Footprint" in a Cemetery

I had a crazy train of thought that happened this morning. It literally happened while I put my shoes on, so I didn't stick on any one question or mini-topic long at all. Here's how it went down...

I remembered a portion of a dream I had that gave me the point of view from a helicopter flying over of neighborhood during this snowy, frigid weather. In every backyard there was a beautiful winter scene that included a very sad frozen animal. I woke up before it became known if they would thaw out and live or not. I'll assume they were in Mother Nature's version of being cryogenically frozen.

My mind then quickly bounced to a coworker who had a pet cat pass a few months ago before the cold weather hit. He shared with me how they decided to bury the cat at the back of their property, where they would dig a hole and make a grave for their beloved pet.

Thankfully, before my mind headed down the sad road of losing one of my own pets, I couldn't help but think of all the times I've walked through Springdale Cemetery. Like a spinning rolodex, I picture all of the headstones I've read that span from the 1800's to 2000's.

Now this is where my mind really starts to spin. Are there people alive today that come to pay respects to those who lived in the 1800's? Is it just more of a historically "library" of people who used to live in the area? It kind of leads to the question of who will miss you when you're gone? What have you done that will be remembered or will there just be a gravestone with you name and some numbers?

But without a second thought on those questions, my train of thought takes an immediate turn to having a "footprint" in a cemetery. At what point would the space needed for plots in cemeteries start to "take over the world"? Would we have homes to live in, businesses to work and shop, but no more land for farming, parks, or roads? Our food is engineered in a lab, our outdoor experiences now take place in the virtual world and we finally figured out how to teleport, just so we can expand our cemeteries?

This isn't where my mind stops. I leave those questions hanging too. What this whole thought process ultimately leads me to is the question of, Do environmentalists prefer to be cremated and ashes spread somewhere instead of leaving a "footprint" in a cemetery?