The Thirty Meter Telescope will cost $1.4 billion to build. If and when it is completed, it will allow us earthly inhabitants to view galaxies that are many, many light years away. We will never travel beyond our own galaxy in our lifetime; neither will many of our descendants.

However, climate change is moving at a very rapid pace. It will not take a single light year to forecast that we earthly inhabitants may not survive. We are breathing toxic air as a continuing result of air pollution. Water pollution is increasing due to toxic waste going into our oceans. Land pollution is obvious, as our land is becoming a dump for toxic waste.

Many, many people will perish in forthcoming years. Famine due to lack of rain, and reduced land masses due to rising sea levels, already are taking place. More money and thought to climate change should take priority over building a telescope on Mauna Kea.

Miriam K. Mata

Pearl City

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