New Telescope Project Stirs Controversy

New Telescope Project Stirs Controversy
Written by Tina Chau - tchau@kgmb9.com
October 16, 2008 10:24 PM

The project's corpoation has been holding public meetings across the state. The last one took place Thursday in Honolulu. An environmental study is going to consider the feelings of those for and against the project.

"We continue to be saddened by the descrecration of the sacred temple Mauna Kea," said Kat Brady, executive director of the "Life of the Land" organization.

They were small in number but big in their words, convinced the world's most advanced telescope should not be built on Mauna Kea.

"The ultimate purpose of astronomy is to ask who are we, where do we come from and is there life beyond earth," testified Henry Curtis, "but in doing that here, you will be destroying life on the mountain."

The Thirty Meter Telescope or TMT for short, would have 492 individual mirrors acting as one. It would see farther into space and capture images ten times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. And it may provide answers to the origin of the universe and the evolution of galaxies.

"I think i's potential for addressing cosmological problems that are still really outstanding is tremendous," said Anneila Sargent, a professor of astronomy at CalTech, who was asked by the project to give a lecture about the science behind the telescope.

The problem with the choice of location is, Mauna Kea is considered sacred land that's already been hurt by other telescopes on the mountain.

Two and a half years ago, native Hawaiians climbed Mauna Kea to protest the building of any more.

"By proposing a project up there you do become a part of that legacy," said Miwa Tamanaha of KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance group, "and you do take that on and so you should be cognizant of the feeling people have about that."

Sandra Dawson, TMT's environmental impact statement manger said,"we are looking for ways to show respect for the mountain at the same time we are doing this and our hope would be we would leave the mountain as a whole better off for us having come."

The company that would build the telescope says if it gets the okay, it would invest significantly in Big Island schools. One banana farmer at the public meetin Thursday, is excited at the potential economic boost for Hawaii.

"Agriculture doesn't pay that good," he said, "Everyone knows that. We want better for their children."

In addition to Hawaii, Chile is another location being considered for the telescope. People can still comment on the project until October 23. An draft environmental impact statement should be published in February.

http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/10551/40/