Day 3 (30 May 2010) Photos - (5) Eco Net - soap making (DIY) using recycled materials
After Minatama Museum, we headed to Eco Net where we would be learning how to make soap using recycled materials. The place was located in a small town. Along the way, we saw small plots of farming land beside house. It's so different from the HDB flats that we lived in. The "air-con" weather was so nice for the stroll.


Eco Net was a small and quite run-down house that recycle used cooking oil to make soap. Upon arriving, we were greeted by bubbles generated by machine.

;

After the "bubbly" welcome, we sat in a small room for a lesson on the importance of recycling. We were shown a video that demonstrated the different effect of synthetic and non-synthetic detergent on two separate tanks of fish. The one with synthetic detergent died within 2 min where the other with non-synthetic detergent was still swimming around, not really affected.
Non-synthetic soaps can be made from recycled cooked oil.


We had a fun hands on session to make soap from used cooking oil. The steps were quite simple.

1. Add water to caustic soda (sodium hydroxide).
2. Stirred till dissolved.
3. Slowly pour used cooking oil into dissolved caustic soda.
4. Stirred till thickened.
5. Pour fluid into cups to form soap shape.
6. Leave the soap for a month to stablise its acidity.
7. Soap ready for human use.


At the end of the session, we were given a soap each to take home as a memorial of the fun time making DIY soap as a team. Yes, we worked as a team in making the soap and teamwork was very fun and meaningful.

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Day 3 (30 May 2010) Photos - (4) Minamata Museum - Minamata Pledge
At the end of the museum tour, we learnt the important lesson of life, social responsibility and to cherish people, nature and the place we live.

The Minamata pledge summarised all the important lessons and values that we need to bring home and share with our friends.

The original Minamata pledge was in Japanese and translated into English.


If the photo is not clear, the typed out message is as follow:

Minamata's Pledge

Through the history of the past fifty years in Minamata, there have been many failures. Minamata has learned through these experiences how difficult it is to restore both a polluted environment and a confused social environment. Looking toward the next fifty years, we will reconsider our relationships with nature, our ways of living, our industrial activities, and our community through moyai, a local words meaning"mooring", in order to brighten our lives. We will create a city which truly cherishes people, cherishes nature, and cherishes the place in which we live.

1. Minamata values life.

2. When we notice changes in our surroundings, we will not ignore the problems, but value the voices of those involved and investigate thoroughly.

3. The purpose of industrial activity is not merely to seek profit, but to support a truly abdundant life.

4. The duty of local government is to work with citizens to create happy lives.

5. Moving beyond an age of mere material abundance, we will create spiritually abundant and satisfied lives that eschew wastefulness.

6. By learning from our mistakes, they will not have been made in vain. We will frankly recognise errors we have committed and act to correct them.

7. While reflecting on the past and envisioning the future, we will give ear to the opinions of the minority and work to build our own community through our own efforts.

8. To teach the lessons of Minamata disease is to teach the importance of life.

50th Anniversary of the Official Recognition of Minamata Disease Commemoration Project
Minamata Juku Committee
October 21, 2006

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