The Thirty Meter Telescope
Published on October 3rd 2019One side wants to build the next biggest telescope. The other wants to preserve indigenous lands. Here's why both sides will never see eye to eye.
If you have any friends from Hawaii on Facebook, then you've undoubtedly heard of the latest controversy in our State. It's our very own "Stand with Standing Rock" -- a never ending showdown between the government and indigenous peoples. Why the showdown? What's the controversy? Well, let's dive right in.
Full disclosure: I support the TMT and think it should be built here at the approved site at Mauna Kea.
A Brief Background
In 2009, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) board chose Mauna Kea as preferred site for the new telescope. In 2010, the Environmental Impact Statement was completed, demonstrating that the telescope minimizes its environmental impact and has zero waste. Construction was due to start in 2014, after approval from Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR).
However, the permit given by BLNR was not without fault, and it was challenged in the Supreme Court:
On December 2, 2015, the Hawaii State Supreme Court ruled the 2011 permit from the State of Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) was invalid[93] ruling that due process was not followed when the Board approved the permit before the contested case hearing. The high court stated: "BLNR put the cart before the horse when it approved the permit before the contested case hearing," and "Once the permit was granted, Appellants were denied the most basic element of procedural due process – an opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. Our Constitution demands more".[94][95]
Once the permit was invalidated the approval process was kicked back to the BLNR. After many hearings and revisions, the Hawaii Supreme Court eventually approved the new permit in 2018. The most significant revision to the permit was that the approval was contingent upon the removal of three other telescopes.
Once that approval came through, the State had all it needed to continue with construction. Governor Ige announced that construction would begin on July 15, 2019. On that day, construction crews were blocked by protesters, and, since then, the support for the protesters has grown exponentially. This is mostly due to the State's incompetence in various areas, such as arresting some old people. Not that it wasn't the legal thing to do, but when you're in a publicity battle, arresting vulnerable people doesn't exactly garner sympathy with the populace.
That's essentially where we are at now. We had some celebrities come through to try and raise awareness. We've had Neil DeGrasse Tyson throw his two cents on the Joe Rogan podcast, and both sides are even more polarized than they were when this whole thing started.
The Anti-TMT Arguments
There are many reasons why people oppose the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Things like Native Hawaiian sovereignty, environmentalism, cultural preservation, and anti-corporatism/capitalism all come up.
Native Hawaiian Sovereignty
Regarding sovereignty -- there is a spectrum here. Some Native Hawaiians simply think that we have a right to self-determination and self-governance, while others believe that the United States of America is illegally occupying the islands due to the "illegal" annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Americans. Many currently protesting on the mountain are probably closer to the "illegal occupation" side of the spectrum, with Kaho'okahi Kanuha, one of the spokespeople for the occupation, repeatedly referring to Hawaii as a "fake state" during testimony against the TMT in court. That he is looked to as a leader signifies the support for this position.
I'm not a lawyer, nor an expert on international law, so I don't really know how right the whole illegal occupation thing is. But, there is broad support among the anti-TMT crowd for the belief that Hawaii doesn't actually belong to America. At the very least, many believe that Native Hawaiians deserve sovereignty a la the Native American tribes on the mainland.
Anti-Corporatism and Anti-Capitalism
Many anti-TMT folks believe that the profit-seeking aspect of the telescope tarnishes the moral and scientific value it has. The thought is that because the telescope looks to make a profit, then its goals of "furthering science" are just a by product or a more sinister goal: making money. In this regard, the project looks more like a greedy group of capitalist pigs looking to make a quick buck by bribing local politicians for fast-tracked permits and approvals.
This probably stems from a few different things. First, there is the fact that UH only pays a $1 per year lease and subleases that out to the observatories, and has in the past not done a great job of collecting enough lease rent from the subleases. TMT will pay $300k per year in rent, increasing until 2024 when it will pay $1m per year. Second, opponents believe that because the telescope will be selling its viewing time, it loses the moral high ground that comes with doing this project "for science".
This position, in my opinion, is the weakest, since it would be better to have an observatory that was self-sustaining than one reliant on government funding. That removes it from the whims of whatever political forces are popular at the time, and lets it be an autonomous entity subject to market forces.
Cultural Preservation
This is, in my opinion, the strongest argument anti-TMT people have. The argument is that our mountain, Mauna Kea, is extremely significant within Hawaiian culture. The lands were ceded by the Kingdom of Hawaii to the United States Government during the overthrow in the late 19th century; that is, the land was essentially stolen from the Kingdom by Americans. The very fact it was still owned by the Kingdom shows how valuable they thought this land was.
"The summit of Mauna Kea represents many things to the indigenous people of Hawai’i. The upper regions of Mauna Kea reside in Wao Akua, the realm of the Akua-Creator.
It is home of Na Akua (the Divine Deities), Na `Aumakua (the Divine Ancestors), and the meeting place of Papa (Earth Mother) and Wākea (Sky Father) who are considered the progenitors of the Hawaiian People. Mauna Kea, it is said, is where the Sky and Earth separated to form the Great-Expanse-of-Space and the Heavenly Realms. Mauna Kea in every respect represents the zenith of the Native Hawaiian people’s ancestral ties to Creation itself.
Mauna Kea is a Temple or House of Worship. It is, in our cultural understanding and cosmology, a temple of the highest order. The Temple of Mauna Kea differs from other temples because it was not created by man. Akua built it for man, to bring the heavens to man. Therefore, the laws of man do not dictate its sanctity, the laws of Heaven do.
For it is here that the very life breath can be seized in a moment never to return. It is only here that the life-giving waters originate. Only here do the heavens open so that man can be received, blessed, freed and transformed in the ways of Heaven.
As kahu (religious guardians) of this place, our kuleana (responsibility) to this temple is ancient. It is our duty to proclaim its sanctity and work to protect it, so that its greatness and purpose can be shared with all of mankind. Our duty to Heaven cannot be abridged."
- from "Mauna Kea -- The Temple", Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Heiau Helu Elua, and Mauna Kea `Ānainahou
As Americans, we believe in the freedom of religion; ancient Hawaiian culture would certainly fall under that. Even as a non-believer of any spirituality associated with my Native Hawaiian culture, I still respect those practicing the culture just like I would respect a Christian being overly protective of a sacred church or a Jew being protective about Jerusalem. Hawaiians putting forth this cultural argument are simply against the further desecration of the mountain.
Whether or not you believe in it yourself, you still have to respect those that do practice the culture. It's a tricky subject, since we're talking about an entire mountain here with immense value to American astronomy; however, if anti-TMT groups want the best shot at winning the publicity and legal challenges ahead, I truly believe that coming at it from a cultural standpoint is the strongest position they can have, especially if they are genuine practitioners of the culture. For example, I think this pile of rocks is absolutely silly but I concede it has a spiritual significance to those who erected the 'ahu; I just hope their intentions were genuine, and not opportunistic.
The Pro-TMT Arguments
There really isn't a big breakdown needed for the pro-TMT arguments. If you followed the summary of events from above, you'll see that the TMT has a legal right to proceed with construction via permits. They demonstrated that the observatory will have a sufficiently small environment impact through the EIS. And they went through all the proper steps to get this thing built, and even got validation from the Supreme Court of Hawaii.
The reason why many people support the telescope being built, though, is mostly because they support the advancement of science, first and foremost. Anti-TMT folks probably also support the advancement of science and technology, especially considering that Iolani Palace was the first royal residence to have electricity, however, they put that behind protecting their 'aina.
One reason why the TMT will help with science is that it pledged $1m per year in scholarship opportunities for the pro-science THINK fund here in Hawaii. That's a whole lot of money to help Hawaiians get higher paying jobs here. I think it's absolutely amazing and will go a long way in helping Hawaii become a leader in the science and tech industry.
Another reason is that it will simply be the newest and best telescope around the world. It will help us see things we've never seen before, and give much more clarity to things we can barely see now. This will help us gain more knowledge in how our universe works, how it was formed, and what our future holds. You cannot put an exact value on this, and I'm so excited to see what discoveries will come from the telescope if it gets built.
Why Both Sides Will Never See Eye To Eye
Ah, here are the meat and potatoes. The reason I wrote this article, and the reason you're reading it. The two sides will never see eye to eye because the arguments are fundamentally at odds with one another.
There is no compromising on stopping the desecration of a sacred land. There simply isn't. What is a pro-TMT person going to say to a protester who doesn't want the Mauna to be further damaged by telescopes? The answer is nothing. Although the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) shows the observatory will not impact the mountain much, it still impacts it nonetheless. The EIS merely shows that the project is following the rules and regulations of the State, but how is that a valid argument when your opponent simply says the rules and regulations themselves are corrupt?
There's also no compromising on the culture vs. science debate. The culture says that the mountain is one of the utmost important landmarks we have. How can you justify doing any sort of damage to it in the name of science? It's simply a point of view that both sides can't understand from their opposition. Hardcore, pro-science crowds simply do not see the value in preserving some land to prevent building a telescope; and by that same token, hardcore, pro-Hawaiian folks do not see the value in giving up a chunk of the mountain in exchange for the best telescope that has ever been built.
Ultimately, I don't think there will ever be a resolution both sides are happy with. There will just be one big loser and one big winner; either the telescope gets built and protesters are further incensed against "The Man", or the telescope doesn't get built and it puts our future as an astronomy stronghold at risk. Either way, one group walks away with a lot of anger and resentment for the other.
Where I Stand
Me? As I said before, I think the strongest position the anti-TMT folks have is for cultural preservation. By further desecrating the mountain you are trampling on an entire religion/belief system, and that theoretically is at odds with the First Amendment.
That said, I put little value in ancient Hawaiian culture and mysticism. It's my heritage, yes, but I'm an American first, then a Hawaiian. I'm very proud of that. I think that too many look at the ancient Hawaiian belief systems with rose-colored glasses, and particularly view our royal line of ali'i with far too much reverence. I think the entire caste system is a relic of the past, and I think that even if the Kingdom was not overthrown, Hawaiian culture would have eventually gave way to Western culture.
So yes, the cultural arguments made by anti-TMT folks do resonate with me insofar as I respect their religious beliefs and right to freedom of speech; however, if it were up to me, the mountain is just a pile of rocks waiting for mankind to use however we see fit. And in my opinion, building a telescope that will help us understand the universe is a very worthwhile pursuit. Particularly, it won't do any damage to the culture, even though the culture places a lot of value on the landmark.
And beyond that, the anti-TMT crowd doesn't have much else that would convince me otherwise.
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