A group of Hawaiians yesterday were elated that they defied the authorities on Mauna Kea. Sixteen years ago the non-profit Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory Corporation was formed. Then in 2009, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation granted $77.1 million to this proposed $1.4 billion project. That same year Mauna Kea was selected as the preferred site over Chile.
In 2015, after meeting all the legal requirements, the order to begin construction was made by Governor David Ige. But Hawaiians protested, and the issue returned to the courts. Again, clearing all legal matters, Governor Ige announced that the delivery of parts for the TMT would begin on July 15. Then came the victory of Hawaiians when state authorities backed off when seven activists chained themselves to a cattle grate, preventing vehicles from passing.
So what has happened during this period of delay? The European Extremely Large Telescope, larger than the TMT, is now under construction in Chile, with first light expected in 2024, at least three years before TMT, if all goes perfectly.
Like the controversial Honolulu Rail Transit Project, TMT will be built, and soon. The main reason is that the people of Hawaii want it. From a Star Advertiser survey:
Do you support work on the Thirty Meter Telescope starting Monday?
- A. Yes, it's time/overdue (963 Votes)
- B. No, oppose TMT (48 Votes)
- C. Mixed; more time needed to mitigate issues (15 Votes)
Comparing YES and NO votes, 95% of local people are for TMT. And native Hawaiians were part of the poll.
This has become a legacy issue for David Ige. The TMT will be built.
In many societies, individual progress is retarded. In Japan, for example, there is some truth to not sticking your creative head too high. In Hawaii, the crab mentality generally prevails: if I can't have it, neither can you. The analogy in human behavior is claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to reduce the self-confidence of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, resentment, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.[7][8][9]
Related to this notion is the general feeling that there are too many cliques and contending groups to gain any kind of consensus on anything. Then I was told that it's worse than that. It almost goes back to from which Polynesian island your ancestors came.
Too often, and almost universally, Hawaiians have been blamed for being anti-progress, delaying the H3 freeway (more the efforts of environmentalists), killing the Super Ferry (but only peripherally) to TMT, and much more. You don't hear much of positive activities like the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission, following up on earlier nativist protests. There has been slow progress on Hawaiian Homes and Hokulea was wonderful, although again, a reach back into the past rather than reaching for the future.
I was on the team that succeeded with Hawaii Geothermal Well Abbott. Augustin Abott of the University of Hawaii passed away during the effort. Upset about Pele being ravaged, Hawaiians joined marijuana growers, environmentalists and some local residents against geothermal. Judge David Ezra sided with them and essentially curtailed large-scale commercial development. On this issue, Mililani Trask, an opponent of this technology, became convinced about the sensibility of responsible geothermal development. Turned out, slowing down geo-commerce might have been wise, for a totally difference reason. All potential geothermal subzones are over volcanic rifts:
In any case, appreciating the reality of the TMT situation, this is a golden opportunity for Hawaiian activists. They need a modern-day King Kamehameha to unite them all, but in a progressive manner. The time is now to have the right leader to magnanimously allow construction to proceed for the good of Hawaii and Humanity.
Then find others to promote instead of prevent, advance as opposed to deflate. Particularly, this too is important: work in partnership with others. Civil rights seem all too focused on oneself.
This group can use a lot of help, for I think this is our final chance for Hawaii to gain any kind of economic stabilization to complement tourism. Dante Carpenter and Kaiu Kimura are part-Hawaiian board members. Their email addresses are provided on that blog site. Better yet, if you can bring to the table a billionaire desiring a marine legacy, you now have total control of this opportunity. The next step after the Pacific International Ocean Station is the Pacific Ocean International (POI) Exposition.
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