Last edited Sat Jun 27, 2015, 03:08 AM - Edit history (3)
Sacred sites??? Who are they trying to kid?
The Maunakea summit is one of the only two places on the planet that are ideal for visual astronomy, which is precisely why the observatory was set up there in the first place. The first large telescope there saw first light in the 1960's. So this place has a very important place in the advancement of knowledge for all humankind. As I said, it is one of only two places on the planet which can do what it can do. That makes it very special.
Now it appears that it is also very special to native Hawaiians.
Except for a few facts.
* Mauna Kea is an extraordinarily large mountain. The observatory grounds are limited to that part of the summit grounds set aside decades ago. The building of the TMT in no way expands those grounds.
* The administration of the observatory is especially sensitive to both cultural and environmental impact on the site. If one doubts that, visit the site, or the Web site. Of course there is only one road and you will have to have an approved 4-wheel vehicle before you will be allowed. The road is not an easy drive, apparently. And if you get stuck the observatory will get you out, but you will be responsible for the apparently considerable charges.
* Then there's the altitude. I cannot believe many native Hawaiians are trekking up to that summit. In fact, astronomers almost never work there. All is controlled at the observatory headquarters far down the mountain, thousands of feet below the summit. The few people who work at the summit have to acclimate themselves to the altitude -- visitors too, the rules are posted at the observatory Web site. They are quite stringent. Astronomers, who have to stay mentally sharp, rarely go up there. The telescopes are all controlled from way below. So I don't think many people trek up there on their own. It is just too damned high.
* The observatory takes cultural and environmental impact very, very seriously. (Again, visit the Web site.) Such is the burden of any such really big science project. And make no mistake, the Mauna Kea observatory is science on a rather large scale. But the grounds of the observatory were set aside long ago and will not be expanded for the TMT, as indicated above.
* The site of the TMT was specifically chosen to have minimum impact both culturally or environmentally. Even the construction honors the environmental impact it might have. Visit the TMT site for details. It is all laid out in as much detail as one could want, or via links.
Did I indicate that this is a really big mountain, only a rather limited part is observatory grounds?
Well, these are the reasons that some people see the protests as based on ignorance. Certainly few of the ancestral practices include actually going up there. Some would not live long at that altitude without acclimation or supplemental oxygen. Plus, there is an awful lot of summit which does not include the observatory. It very much sounds like some people just don't like there to be any observatory there, and they are just using the TMT as an excuse.
The observatory is not visible from the ground, not even after the TMT is built. That is the care they take in its design.
So what is the objection? A volcano god?
Who says the volcano god does not want people to learn about the universe from the best place on the planet? I want somebody to answer me that question.
Here's a statement from the TMT project:
06.24.2015
Statement from Henry Yang, Chair of the TMT International Observatory Board:
“This is a difficult day for Hawaii and TMT. As we attempted to begin our work today, we were met by protests that regrettably resulted in some arrests. Boulders blocked our access to the construction site and the Department of Land and Natural Resources deemed it unsafe for us to proceed. For the safety of our team, we made the decision to bring them off the mountain and we are planning to resume when the issue is resolved.
“We want to thank the state and county police officers for protecting the safety of our team and the protesters and extend our gratitude to them, as well as to all of our supporters in Hawaii.
“We want to acknowledge and reach out to those who disagree with our project. We respect their views and, looking toward the future, we hope we can work together to find common ground.”
The question remains whether the protesters want common ground, or if they ignorantly want the telescopes off the mountain. (Hint: the latter ain't going to happen.)
Multiple edits for clarification.
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