I first came to Hawaii as a child in 1941 and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. I returned 35 years later to help the University of Hawaii build one of early telescopes on Mauna Kea. I again returned in
I first came to Hawaii as a child in 1941 and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. I returned 35 years later to help the University of Hawaii build one of early telescopes on Mauna Kea. I again returned in 1989 to manage the development of the W.M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. Now as a retired resident of the Big Island, I have been watching the recent efforts by protesters to obstruct the construction of a new Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. I would like to share my view of the situation.
It is well known that Mauna Kea is the finest astronomical site in the world because of the location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the high altitude and clear skies above the inversion layer. The observatories on Mauna Kea have produced a tremendous amount of scientific data, which is helping us to characterize and understand our universe. Astronomical development on Mauna Kea was started more than 50 years ago. Access to the summit was made possible by the road constructed by the state to build the first small telescope there in 1965. There has been very little development for nearly 20 years and some of the telescopes on Mauna Kea are becoming obsolete and will eventually be removed. Recently, a new high technology telescope (TMT) was approved for construction by all Hawaii state agencies.
When the TMT project tried to hold its groundbreaking ceremony in October, it was blocked and disrupted by a group of protesters dressed in Hawaiian clothing who occupied the site and preached to the assembled dignitaries that Mauna Kea is their land and they should build the telescope on their own land. It was embarrassing to see these young people giving their monolog to a group of distinguished scientists and government officials. Now that construction is scheduled to start, the protest has grown and the roads have been blocked illegally. While the TMT environmental impact is only a small incremental amount over the existing facilities, suddenly the protesters say no more telescopes, citing cultural and spiritual arguments. This is a project that has gone through exhaustive review and litigation for the past seven years. Having met all the environmental requirements, the project was issued a permit by the state agencies.
The protestors completely disregard the scientific value of the TMT, the economic benefit to the Big Island and the creation of educational opportunities and jobs which will result from construction and operation of the facility. They seem to live in the past and only resort to terms like “sacred” in an effort to bring a spiritual argument against TMT.
TMT will provide a giant increase in sensitivity and the ability to look back in time at the formation of our universe. The observatory will cost more that $1.5 billion and is very likely to be the last of the great telescopes built on Earth because of the cost and complexity. Two similar projects are underway in the Southern Hemisphere but only TMT will be in the Northern Hemisphere.
How can Hawaii not embrace this remarkable opportunity and maintain its place as the world’s leader in astronomy?
Gerald Smith is a resident of North Kohala.
Viewpoint articles are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of West Hawaii Today.
