The Project Manager's
Corner: Exploring TMT in ChileMay/June 2007
I have written several times in this column about our campaign
to evaluate and select the site for TMT. (Focus
On... Site Testing, My Summer
Vacation in February, PM Corner,
Looking Up). I have described visits to Hawaii and to Chile.
These articles included travelogues, meetings with officials,
descriptions of scientific tests of the quality of "seeing",
and discussions of the ceremonial importance to local communities
of some of the mountains contemplated by TMT.
On a trip in June, several of us visited Chile to meet with
local officials, leaders in the astronomy and university communities
and business leaders. In fact, our visit was noticed and was
referred to several times in the Chilean media, television and
print press (La
Segunda, LA
TERCERA). Why did we get such attention?
TMT is big. TMT promises great scientific reach. Science is
exciting. So TMT is considered newsworthy. But a look at the
coverage in Chile shows that it is more than the intrinsic excitement
of TMT that motivates attention. The possibility that TMT could
be constructed in Chile is exciting as a matter of national
and community pride. This is true in any country. TMT would
be a major capital asset with a lifecycle that might be a century.
It would be an exciting and dramatic landmark. It is even more
exciting in a nation like Chile that is developing fast and
that has a sense of transformation and progress in daily life.
The excitement of a developing nation begets excitement. New
icons of progress are appreciated as milestones. I am personally
excited by all of this.
One noteworthy meeting was at an organization called SOFOFA,
a Chilean trade and industry federation. The occasion brought
together industry and trade leaders with leaders from three
large astronomy projects in Chile. The projects included the
radio astronomy project Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
under construction in Chile, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
(LSST) awaiting construction funding but announced as selecting
Chile for its site, and TMT described in Chile as considering
Chile with a decision in 2008. At this meeting, the projects
were described and images of actual or planned construction
were displayed and business opportunities and future economic
impacts in Chile were described.
This meeting raised awareness and was a very helpful of exchange
between the business and astronomy communities. Everyone knows
that copper is a major natural resource in Chile, driving their
economy. Another major natural resource is clear skies excellent
for astronomy. Government, education and commercial sectors
in Chile are aware of this resource and are approaching it just
as any national asset should be approached. At the SOFOFA meeting,
the great science promise of these projects was appreciated.
This was discussed openly. But everyone in the room was aware
that astronomy projects bring excitement to communities and
educational, cultural, technology base and economic benefits.
Our challenge is to accomplish our science goals and give due
attention to the other benefits to the communities that we will
join.
I have written in the past about TMT engagement with indigenous
communities in Chile (Looking Up).
Our encounter this time was with government, education and business.
If TMT is implemented in Chile, we will have to take up the
challenge of translating our scientific excitement into real
membership in these communities. |
