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It is disturbing to find a writer of Lee Cataluna’s talent using increasingly flawed arguments in support of the Thirty Meter Telescope obstructionists on Mauna Kea (“Opinions on TMT issue don’t carry equal weight,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. Opens in a new tab21) Opens in a new tab.
She disputed whether everyone in Hawaii has equal standing on the issue, pointing to cases where only local communities were consulted about local issues with little external effect.
Yet the TMT has implications that extend far beyond the specific build site and even beyond Hawaii island, although its residents stand to benefit most directly from its construction and operation.
No site is as ideally suited for the TMT as Mauna Kea. If it is not built there after overcoming all of the legal obstacles, the loss will be felt statewide in Hawaii’s reputation and worldwide in the superior science that will not be achieved.
The knowledge this instrument will provide has global consequences. It is not just a local issue.
Ronald A. Lynch
Moiliili
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