TMT - Thirty Meter Telescope
We live in a generation where science and technology have an overwhelming impact on the way we live life. Currently, there is plans for a Thirty Meter Telescope(TMT) to be constructed on the the top of a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii(commonly refereed to as "big island") named Mauna kea [maw-nuh kay-uh] .
Near the center of Pasadena, California, and at various locations around the world, a team of scientists, engineers, and project specialists is busily planning and designing what eventually will become the most advanced and powerful optical telescope on Earth. When completed, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will enable astronomers to study objects in our own solar system and stars throughout our Milky Way and its neighboring galaxies, and forming galaxies at the very edge of the observable Universe, near the beginning of time.
Mauna kea is one of the highest mountain in the world when measured from sea floor to summit. Rising 13,796 feet from sea level, being far away from light and pollution, and home of the worlds largest astronomical observatories makes Mauna kea the perfect site for the telescope.
It is quite an amazing advancement in science and technology and is very important to get the data that those who are building this telescope is trying to obtain. Obviously this would have tremendous benefits to the scientific community.
However, There's usually 2 sides to a coin...
There Are Still Pure Native Hawaiians of Royal Decent
In July 2009, the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation selected Maunakea, in Hawaii, as the preferred site to build and operate TMT. However, in December 2015, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the state’s permitting process was flawed, and the State Board of Land and Natural Resources was ordered to re-do the permit process. TMT is currently working to regain the required permit and start onsite construction in Hawaii. While Maunakea continues to be TMT’s preferred site, TMT has investigated alternative sites to ensure construction can begin in a timely fashion. This webpage serves as a central clearinghouse for information related to TMT in Hawaii and alternate site studies.
In society today, we have to follow the government regulations and requirements to construct such a structure. To Native Hawaiians this is not only desecration to what they believe is sacred land, but it is a desecration to their people and culture.
The Native Hawaiians have been fighting the TMT for some time now. In the video and image below, you can see them protesting on the roadway, blocking the path to the site that the TMT is going to be constructed on.
From February 2016 through October 2016, four potential sites for the TMT were evaluated to provide an alternative location for the observatory. Although Maunakea remains the preferred setting for building TMT, an alternate site is needed for the case that access to Maunakea is not possible in a timely way. All of the alternative sites considered were excellent for carrying out the core science of the TMT and the interactions with potential host countries and organizations were uniformly very positive. On October 31st, 2016, the TIO Board of Directors selected the ‘Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos’ (ORM), in La Palma, on the Canary Islands (Spain) as the alternate site for TMT.
Now it seems they have been looking for other locations to build the TMT but there is a lot of controversy that that is still looming. This is great if they are able to agree on a different location but scientists really want Maunakea.
The government has been overstepping their power and the protesting has been such a problem for officials that an emergency rule was signed in place by Hawaii Governor David Ige. Public safety was used as the reason to sign this rule into immediate affect in order to prevent protesters from camping and accessing the route.
The 120-day emergency rule will restrict access at night between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. to anyone not traveling in a vehicle and will prohibit camping on the mountain within 1 mile of the summit road at all times.
There was even issues with Judge Barbara Takase handling the case to have had a conflict of interest in the matter and eventually appointed a new judge to handle the case. State Circuit Court Judge Ronald Ibarra made the right decision to invalidate the rules and throw out the emergency rule.
This is still an ongoing battle and the Native Hawaiians are tired of government rule that is allowing everything that was true Hawaiian to become extinct.
A Reminder From The Past
One of the main reasons the Mauna kea TMT is such an issue to the Native Hawaiians is the past. The overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and annexation of Hawaii to the United States will forever be instilled in the true native Hawaiians. They will never forget what happened.
In the late 1800's America wanted Hawaii for its strategic location to gain the upper hand in economic and military power.
On Januarary 17, 1893, American forces overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and proclaimed a provisional government and appointed Sanford B. Dole as president in Hawaii. There was a representative to President Grover Cleveland that found the overthrow illegal and disagreed with Dole.
Dole refused to accept this decision and began bloodshed on the Hawaiian people and plotted to overthrow the monarchy. The monarchy and government suspected the ruler at that time, Queen Liliuokalani might have had a role in the attempted takeover and locked the queen up at the Iolani Palace for nearly a year.
Watching her people suffer while being locked up in the palace, and no match for the American military force, she told her people to surrender to avoid further bloodshed.
Queen Liliuokalani was pardoned in October 1896 and spent her remaining years to restore the Hawaiian monarchy but was unable to do so and died in 1917 at the age of 79.
There is a local term used in Hawaii for foreigners, "Haole" [How-leh]. Some of you that have visited Hawaii has experienced hearing this. Over the years, the term evolved and people in Hawaii use it more as a term for "white man." Associating it with Americans being white colored skin, you'll tend to hear "Haole" used at white people. You could say it's similar to the African American community and how they feel about slavery and what it did to their people and culture. The term "cracker" was formed and used by African Americans as a racial slur.
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It is a bit pity not to have involved the local in the discussions from the start. I am sure most of the mess could have been avoided (but now this may be too late).
Nice post, mixing science, politics and history ^^
It kind of is too late...
Thank you for the feedback.
Definitely way too late. That makes me sad :(
Yes very heartbreaking. Something like what happened to Native American Indians. Not enough people are aware of what's still happening in the world to stop this from happening.
What a telescope! Thanks for sharing this informative post, Bitcoinparadise!
Upvoted & Followed you as well.
Thank you. I just wanted to share what's going on. We tend lose sight of what's true a lot of the times.
Thanks for the follow! Right back at you! I look forward to reading more of your posts. I looked through some and I like the information you provide :)