Hawaii governor says Thirty Meter Telescope has right to continue on sacred Mauna Kea

[Panich52]

EarthSky

Hawaii Gov. David Ige this week announced his support for continuing construction of the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) at Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano that is already home to many other large telescopes. Mauna Kea is considered a sacred mountain by many native Hawaiians and protests over its use by astronomers, which have gone on for decades, intensified in April, 2015 as construction on the TMT was set to begin. Those protests caused the $1.5-billion TMT project to come a standstill last month, after dozens of people were arrested blocking construction vehicles. At a press conference on Tuesday (May 26, 2015), Ige said the project has the right to proceed. However, he laid out some new rules, which include removing one-quarter of the existing 13 telescopes on Mauna before TMT starts operating in the mid-2020s. Ing said of the TMT:

I do not doubt that they did more than any previous telescope project to be a good neighbor.

And he also said:

The University of Hawaii must do a better job in its stewardship of the mountain.

According to Nature on May 27, the first telescope at Mauna Kea to be dismantled will be the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, whose closure was announced in 2009. It was already expected to begin a dismantling process later this year. Meanwhile, none of the other 12 telescopes had immediate plans to shut down. Peter Michaud, a spokesman for the Gemini Observatory based in Hilo, Hawaii told Nature:

This is all new to us. Until we learn more about it, we’re not really able to say much of anything.

According to the Huffington Post, Ige also said he will ask the University of Hawaii to promise that this is the last area on Mauna Kea where a telescope could be built. Plus:

He will create a new Mauna Kea Cultural Council to advise the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and review all leases and lease renewals. He said support for the TMT will not be a prerequisite for serving on the council.

Ige also wants UH to return over 10,000 acres to the DLNR that aren’t being used for the observatories, and to substantially reduce its lease extension request.

. ...

The 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea today are operated by astronomers from 11 different countries. The TMT site on Mauna Kea was selected because it is largely hidden and there are no archeological finds or ancient burials in the immediate area. But it’s a big project, significantly bigger than any other telescope project already on Mauna Kea. The telescope would be 18 stories tall with structures spanning 1.44 acres.

. ...

But many native Hawaiians feel a kinship to Mauna Kea. Some say it is the origination point of the Hawaiian islands. Some have even been known to bury their umbilical cords on the mountain as a way of connecting themselves back to the sacred land.

The protests at Mauna Kea have not only taken place in Hawaii. Some of the most dramatic protests have occurred via social media using the hashtag #WeAreMaunaKea. Celebrities such as Jason Momoa, Kelly Slater and Ian Somerhalder helped the virtual demonstration go viral.

More (incld screen shots of virtual protesters)
http://earthsky.org/space/hawaii-governor-says-thirty-meter-telescope-has-right-to-continue?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=e0ce832f2b-EarthSky_News&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-e0ce832f2b-393525109


x p First Amer

[jeff47]

1. They feel a kinship now. Not so much when the first telescopes were built.

Kinda odd that this "sacred ground" was a lot less sacred in previous decades.

[longship]

2. Maybe they ought to just tear down the finest Astro observatory on the planet.

Last edited Thu May 28, 2015, 01:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Because it insults somebody's cultural sensitivities?

My take is that this observatory has been extant for decades and it is the finest in the Northern Hemisphere because the location is by far the best in the Northern Hemisphere. The science that goes on there is absolutely astounding because it is an astounding place. Would that all Hawaiians only see it for what it truly represents, the advancement of learning about the universe, which is something which gives one awe of nature.

I cannot believe nor accept that the volcano gods would be against that.

The observatory is as much a temple to the universe than anything. And the extent that people think that the people administrating the site don't care about the site's heritage or environment is the extent that they are wrong.

How many world class telescopes does the governor suggest they tear down? I suspect the protesters would say all of them.

I say none of them. And build the TMT.

[Nictuku]

3. There is local support

I am torn at where to fall on this topic.

I am a lover of science and human space exploration. I am also a lover of nature, and hate all of the tourist type and condo / gated community developments that continue to encroach the islands beauty.

I grew up in Hawaii, but live on the mainland now. Mainly because as an IT Tech, I couldn't get a decent paying job there.

I have a friend who has lived on Maui her entire life, who works on Haleakala at one of the observatories there.

She is a progressive like me, and so I asked her what she thinks about it. She is all for it! Mainly because it will provide some badly needed jobs for local residents. (It is 1-2 hour drive there for most folks, but worth it due to decent pay for those types of jobs)

I can attest that good jobs (that are not the low-paying tourist servitude industry) are hard to find. With an outrageously expensive economy, it is difficult to find a job that pays more than $10/hr.

So, not everyone in Hawaii is against it, just some food for thought.