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Thirty Meter Telescope, apparently, and it will not be built
The protesters on the access road i>
The project is the largest optical instrument in the world, Thirty Meter Telescope, which was supposed to turn on Mauna Kea, back to the very beginning of his difficult path. Thursday judge of the Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled , that the organizers of the project it will be necessary to re-collect all permits for its construction.
The trial was initiated by a group of religious people, inhabitants of the island of Hawaii, on which is located the volcano Mauna Kea. Group Sacred Mauna Kea activists opposed the construction, arguing that it will turn "desecration" of their sacred mountain. The plaintiffs accused the Hawaiian bureau of land resources [Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR] that it has issued a building permit without giving the possibility to protest against it.
Hawaiians believe that the Mauna Kea - a symbolic navel of the island, connected with the heavens, where the souls of their ancestors, and it is impossible to apply human activities and to deploy it on the building. Despite this, since 1964, when the mountain road was built, eleven countries have somehow built on the mountain thirteen different telescopes.
The unique properties of the mountain and its convenient location conducive to the installation of its top astronomical equipment. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, religion and superstition are quite successfully confront the scientific and technical progress.
Mauna Kea has been chosen as the site for the construction of the telescope back in 2009. In 2011, the Committee has received all necessary approvals from the BLNR, however, they have been challenged in court. Only in 2013, all disputes were supposedly allowed. In 2014, it was officially announced the start of construction. However, builders are faced with protests by local religious activists, even reaching the road block, leading to the construction site. In December 2015 a building permit was withdrawn , and last week the decision was upheld by the Supreme Court of the State.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/270756/