IMHO the only construction workers that should be heading up to the summit at this time are those that would be deconstructing a decommissioned telescope before the TMT is built on a new pad with more road building.
I'm pro science, pro TMT actually. My uncle was VP of Lockheed's Space Division which built the Hubble Telescope and he was involved with the Apollo and Shuttle space programs. My grandfather pioneered the Skunk Works 70 years ago at Lockheed and was responsible for the SR-71 and U2 as Chief Inspector.
However, IMHO Mauna Kea should be limited to just a few and only the best, most advanced telescopes in the world with a maximum lease to operate for 25 years. Mauna Kea has always been a sacred connection to the universe, but it should not be covered like this...
https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/maps/summit_map.shtml
I believe there needs to be respect for the Hawaiian culture and history, there is no evidence of that on Mauna Kea today. My first visit to the summit years ago I was surprised by how much the astronomical community has had their way with development all these years and I had an overwhelming feeling of disrespect for the Hawaiian culture up there. My wife did too. I wonder how many visitors feel the same way when they first visit? It must really be difficult for the Hawaiian people to go up there. There's nothing to honor this beautiful native culture and history of our beautiful island on Mauna Kea.
There are many places on earth people consider sacred. For me in my life it is Yosemite. For others it is the Grand Canyon or Waimea Canyon or Mauna Kea. If people did not consider such places sacred they would be ruined and not preserved for future generations.
The only other construction I would support is to build a Mauna Kea Hawaiian Cultural Center across the road from the visitors center and up hill a bit, but not at the summit, to honor the culture and history of the Hawaiian people on Mauna Kea. Crowdfunding sites could raise enough money to build it with world support and hundreds of volunteers, if not thousands, would want to help build it. The Merrie Monarch Festival could have an opening ceremony there at sunrise on Wednesday of Merrie Monarch week.
This is a tough situation for Gov. Ige, a compromise is needed rather than sending in the National Guard. To build TMT we need to fast track decommissioning and deconstruct some of those twentieth century telescopes as soon as possible and return the land to its orginal state.
Hopefully it will remain peaceful up there. I feel for the astonomers such as Tom caught in the middle who are just doing what they love, their passion, at the best place in the world to do astronomy. However, most of the astonomers now work remotely from Hilo and Waimea, not up on the summit. And they are working for all of mankind, for Hawaiians too.
