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Amid Controversy, Construction of Telescope In Hawaii Halted
An anonymous reader sends word that Hawaii Gov. David Ige has asked for a week-long hold in the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea. "After more than a week of demonstrations and dozens of arrests, Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Tuesday that the company building one of the world's largest telescopes atop Hawaii's Mauna Kea has agreed to his request to halt construction for a week. 'They have responded to my request and on behalf of the president of the University and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have agreed to a time out on the project, and there will be no construction activities this week,' Ige said at a news conference. Thirty Meter Telescope is constructing the telescope on land that is held sacred to some Native Hawaiians. Scientists say the location is ideal for the telescope, which could allow them to see into the earliest years of the universe. Ige said he hopes the temporary pause in construction will allow the interested parties to have more discussions about the project. Native Hawaiian groups have been protesting the construction of the telescope since its inception last year."
Native groups complain about this kind of stuff all the time. When the reality is that they make abundant use of all of the benefits received from being "couped" by their overtakers. While complaining about anything they don't like. There's an island in the northeast part of the Indian ocean called North Sentinel Island. There's a group of primative people that have been living isolated on the island for as long as we know. To this day, they've resisted all contact with the outside world. They have practically no knowledge of modern travel, modern medicine, modern technology, modern sanitation, modern agriculture, or modern anything. A few videos / photographs have been taken from approach to the island, but at some distance. They run around in loin clothes and they throw spears, with likely no knowledge of even basic medicine or basic agricultural practices for steady agricultural yield. That's what no contact and leaving you alone gets you. Yet every one of these protestors probably has a cell phone, access to a hospital, lives in a house that meets modern (i.e. 1900s and later) construction standards, with sanitation systems, and access to grocery stores that have plenty of food available nearly year round. What most of these groups need is a reality check. The world moves on. Smart people invent smart things and inherit the Earth. Their approach to live in isolation will eventually result in their culture's death through famine, disease, asteroid, or the Sun burning out. Developing advancements will at least give us a chance to survive beyond those problems. Stop complaining, join the rest of us, and let's all move on with life.