Hawaii Court Rescinds Permit to Build Thirty Meter Telescope - New York Times

[gary]

In a December 3rd 2015 article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/science/space/hawaii-court-rescinds-permit-to-build-thirty-meter-telescope.html?_r=1), Dennis Overbye
reports that the Hawaiian State Supreme Court has rescinded the construction
permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop Mauna Kea.

An international consortium led by Caltech and the University of California
are behind the project to build what would have been the world's largest
telescope.

The group that brought about the suit to stop construction is known
as Mauna Kea Hui (https://www.facebook.com/protectmaunakea/). Many native Hawaiians are opposed to the telescopes atop Mauna
Kea because of the revered cultural significance they have for the mountain.

The plaintiffs successfully argued in court that the 18-storey high TMT
would be an industrial development and would therefore violate the state-designated
conservation zoning for the mountain.

Article here -
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/science/space/hawaii-court-rescinds-permit-to-build-thirty-meter-telescope.html?_r=1

[deanm]

The photo at the article header says it all: it's not as though this is a pristine, untouched site - there are already 13 'scopes up there!

Sure, the TMT is V.E.R.Y. B.I.G., but it's only an addition to what has existed for over 30 years - essentially, it's another building on a university campus on top of a mountain!

I wonder if sums of money paid to 'cultural groups' would lubricate the construction process...

Dean

[sn1987a]

I vote they respect the wishes of the Hawaiian people and relocate those scopes to Australia, tell 'em we'll be happy to host the Thirty metre and any of the other puny scopes on the mountain.

[barx1963]

That is very sad. When I visited Mauna Kea in June, the group on the mountain was about 6 or 7 people. I may be a cynic but I do not believe most of the people in Hawaii who object would really understand the issues.
MK is the best site for telescopes in the world. The observatory have bent over backwards to meet the protesters requirements and be sensitive, but the ante just keeps being moved.
I said to someone while there, if the gods have an issue with telescopes, can't they just take care of it themselves? After all, what sort of god is incapable of "smiting" a puny little telescope?

Malcolm

[AussieTrooper]

I'm not surprised. We were there in May, and there were street marches in Kona, articles in the newspaper, and a constant protest at the visitor centre.
The Hawaiians are very p'd off at the Americans. They were a sovereign state that was invaded, occupied and annexed by the US (no terra nullius here...)
They are now only about 20% of the population, and very unhappy about it.
Their culture is not respected the way Aboriginal culture is here. We even saw petroglyph fields that had been recently bulldozed in favour of a holiday resort.
This sucks for astronomy, but the site is sacred to them. What do you think would happen if we tried to put it on top of Uluru?

(Ducks for cover)

[AussieTrooper]

Given that Mauna Kea is not extinct, and expected to erupt again at some stage, that will very likely happen. :P






(likely not for centuries though)

[sn1987a]

Well they started it when they ate Captain Cook!.

[AndrewJ]

I think the fundamental problem is the protesters dont believe "anything" should be there, including the existing telescopes.
No amount of "bending over backwards" will help when the scope owners desire to stay put and expand is not part of the negotiations.

Andrew

[AussieTrooper]

Wouldn't have minded going to his monument over there, but it's either a kayak or hike to get there. No direct access.

[tlgerdes]

This is an interesting and personal story for me, as I know the person responsible for the whole Mauna Kea idea in the first place.

Not the volcano, but the telescope installation :D