Stakeholder #1

All controversies have major stakeholders. Sometimes they are on completely opposite sides, but sometimes, stakeholders are on a middle ground.

TMT. "untitled" N/A via TMT. Courtesy of TMT International Observatory.

Thirty Meter Telescope

One of the major stakeholders with the most to lose- a major setback in a 1.4 billion dollar telescope- is TMT themselves. The TMT headquarters are in Pasadena, California, filled with academics from all over the world. Prominent figures in the field of astronomy from Japan, Canada, China, India, and Hawaii make up but a small portion of the people working on the Thirty Meter Telescope. TMT works with cutting edge technology and the telescope is on of the most advanced and largest telescopes in the world. They are completely unconnected to the military and they are working purely out of scientific curiosity. TMT is also responsible for multiple million dollar STEM outreach and scholarship programs. In addition to the technology teams, TMT has scientists who work on decreasing the impact on the environment that the telescope will have on Mauna Kea.

Claims:

1. "Out of respect for Hawaiian culture and for the protection of Maunakea's natural resources, we have taken great care to select a site that has no endangered flora or fauna and no known archaeological shrines or burial sites. Located on a lava plain below the summit, TMT will not be visible from culturally sensitive locations, such as the summit of Kukahauula, Lake Waiau, and Puu Lilinoe. It will only be vaguely visible from 14% of the island"- Thirty Meter Telescope (source)
2. "TMT will follow follow a Comprehensive Management Plan to protect and conserve Maunake's cultural and natural resources during both on-going operations and construction to prevent any detrimental impacts. In addition, we will have cultural, archaeological, and construction monitors on-site at all times" - TMT (source)
3. In 2014, we launched The Hawaii Island New Knoweldge (THINK) Fund to better prepare Hawaii Island students to master STEM and to become the workforce for higher paying science and technology jobs in Hawaii's 21st Century Economy" - TMT (source)

Validity of Claims

TMT's claims are all true. Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources approved of their plans to preserve the environment and respect the cultural significance of Maund Kea. The governor of Hawaii, David Ige, also approved of all of TMT's proposals and compromises.

Similarities
Many of the Hawaiian citizens are polarized and either fully support or are fully against the TMT. Surprisingly, the demographic of the protesters are mostly the current generation and there are many of the older generation who fully support the TMT.