Dive Brief:
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As the construction moratorium on Hawaii’s Thirty Meter Telescope enters its second week, Gov. David Ige said building on the controversial structure will not resume until at least April 20.
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Native Hawaiians, who for the past two weeks have blocked construction equipment from entering the site where one of the world’s largest telescopes is in the works, have said the mountain at Mauna Kea on the Big Island is sacred land and should not be disturbed. More than 30 demonstrators have been arrested.
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Protestors have told local media that they hope to take their fight one step further and permanently shut down construction.
Dive Insight:
The telescope is sponsored by the University of California and the California Institute of Technology, and scientific institutions from around the world are participating in its construction in return for observing time. The site on Mauna Kea reportedly is one of the best places in the world for viewing the sky and beyond.
But native Hawaiians have said the mountain is a burial site for their ancestors and deities, and that the land is part of their history.
