My last diary was a video posting of a parody for "Star Wars Day" that was also a peek into a controversy that revolves around situations that might as well be fiction but are, in fact, very real.
Science and technology exist only because of mankind. If we lose our humanity we lose all reason to advance beyond blind movement that could well take our world backwards far more than it tries to move it forward.
One doesn't need answers to the questions of why do we need a telescope. Vast amounts of scientific journals exist to demonstrate that.
Below is a set of recent questions posed in the comment section of my last diary and the answers I felt needed to be highlighted for people to consider.
Question:
"What is the sacred status of the mountain?
Answer:
Mauna Kea is the most sacred of all the peaks in Hawaii. As part of Hawaiian cultural traditions, the sky father, Wākea and the earth mother, Papahānaumoku wed and create the Hawaiian islands. While today we know that the island of Hawaii is the youngest in the chain, to the ancients this was the first born. Both male and female. Hawaii. Mauna Kea is the navel of Hawaii. For this reason, for hundreds of years, Native Hawaiians would leave the umbilical cords from birth up on Mauna Kea. This tradition is still alive today.
As a holy and revered summit, access to the mountain was restricted to the most noble of the ali'i or the kahuna (priests). With the destruction of all the Hawaiian temples and the rise of Christianity, many Hawaiians hid their traditional ways and beliefs because they had become "kapu" or "forbidden". Today, many Hawaiians are returning to that faith in part and in some cases, in whole.
Question:
How does approval/disapproval of the construction tally among native Hawaiians?
Answer:
There have been a few polls. This is the one I can find that has not been taken down. Pacific Business News poll shows 63% oppose, 36% approve and 2% were not sure.
Question:
How extensive are the protests?
Answer:
In Hawaii, Governor Ige has stated that these protests are unprecedented. There have been a number of demonstrations throughout the islands including the building of a Hawaiian alter on the lawn of the office of the president of UH. A line of thousands of protesters filled one side of the street for blocks as stones from a taro patch at the cultural center were passed, one by one to the university.
Demonstrations have taken place in Pasadena at the TMT offices, as well as the State Capitol in California (not large, but there). Similar rallies and demonstrations have taken place throughout the US and in several countries by Hawaiians, environmentalists and supporters. The Sierra Club is against it as are a number of other similar organizations. Social media has played a big part. Celebrities such as Jason Mamoa (Game of Thrones) and other local and national/international celebrities support with the tag line "We Are Mauna Kea".
Question:
With...what?...7 scopes already there, is a new one a big deal?"
Answer:
Thirteen. There are currently thirteen telescopes on Mauna kea that have gone far passed the original negotiations to place one small telescope on Mauna Kea in 1968. Opposition and demonstrations against the observatories has existed since they were first proposed.
Big deal? Well....at 18 stories high, yes it is a "big deal". But it will not even be the biggest deal as the E-ELT (European- Extremely Large Telescope) is already being constructed and will be 40 meters with a light gathering capacity far greater than the TMT.