Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Protests Temporarily Halt Thirty-Meter Telescope's Construction in Hawaii

posted by martyb on Sunday April 12 2015, @05:48PM   Printer-friendly
from the looking-for-answers dept.

takyon writes:

The construction of the 18-story, $1.4 billion Thirty-Meter Telescope atop the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii has been temporarily halted due to protests.

The campaign has garnered celebrity support and participants across the world:

Supporters of the project point out that there are already 13 telescopes built within that conservation zone. But none are as large as the latest planned structure, dubbed the Thirty-Meter Telescope, which would require the destruction of five acres of land.

The Honolulu-born Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa posted pictures on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #WeAreMaunaKea, That and the hashtag #ProtectMaunaKea have seen big jumps in use this week. San Francisco Giants' pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Momoa's on-screen spouse, Emilia Clarke, and real-life partner, Lisa Bonet, also got involved.

Momoa's Instagram account is currently dedicated to the issue with a link to an online petition pasted as his status. The Instagram account @ProtectMaunakea also hosts pictures of hundreds of people who have posted signs in support of the conservation efforts. Organisers protested off social media as well by holding a worldwide sign waving with participants from Hawaii, Alaska, New York City, Las Vegas, Kentucky, Arizona, Tahiti and Tonga.

The Thirty-Meter Telecope's web site also has coverage.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Protests Temporarily Halt Thirty-Meter Telescope's Construction in Hawaii | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 52 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:13PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:13PM (#169458)

    The triumph of another fake religion over science

    Um, why the distinction?
    I mean, is it meant to contrast with the triumph of The True Religion over science?

  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:56PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 12 2015, @11:56PM (#169468)

    contrast with the triumph of The True Religion

    Yep, that's the ticket! The One True Religion where Intergalactic Badguy Xenu stuffed all those poor thetans into Hawaiian volcanoes millions of years ago. Hey, wait a minute! Maybe the whole thing is just a plot to extort money for a "religion", or on the other hand maybe an attempt to build a telescope large enough to locate the site of Xenu's imprisonment! Well, I for one welcome, etc, etc. . .

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @03:28AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @03:28AM (#169531)

    I mean, is it meant to contrast with the triumph of The True Religion over science?

    Of course. Capitalism is the True Religion, and it triumphs over science all the time.