Discussions with the astronomical community took place at two workshops organized in the framework of the AtLAST design study, focusing on sustainability and telescope operation. Guillermo Valenzuela and Marianne Zeyringer, together with Isabelle Viole and Sabrina Sartori, members of Work Package 5: Environmental Sustainability, led these as one of the final activities of the AtLAST design study. Previous workshops were held in San Pedro de Atacama in July 2022, discussing the development of renewable energy communities with various stakeholders in the area. The new sessions held in December 2023 focused instead on strategies to improve the sustainability of telescope operations. This opportunity also served to update participants on our team's findings regarding the design of a renewable and inclusive energy system for AtLAST.
Insights from the astronomical community
The workshops aimed to collect insights and perspectives from the astronomical community. Participants, comprising both online and in-person attendees, shared their challenges, proposed solutions to foster sustainability in astronomy, and highlighted existing barriers. The first workshop, on December 13, was held at the APEX basecamp (Sequitor) in San Pedro de Atacama, and attracted participants from various organizations and observatories, including APEX, Synertec (a company focused on the design of renewable energy projects), the Atacama Astronomical Park, ALMA, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), and ESO. Subsequently, a second workshop took place at the ESO Vitacura office in Santiago on December 18, attracting attendees from ESO and APEX. Members of the AtLAST team participated in both workshops. Participants' feedback highlighted the value and relevance of addressing these instances in a forum where it is possible to discuss challenges and how to solve them.
Fostering collaborative efforts
A notable phrase emerged during the discussions: “While telescopes on the Chajnantor plateau share research goals, cooperation needs to be improved, often hindered by physical distance and institutional affiliations”. Participants emphasized the importance of collaboration to mitigate the environmental impact of telescope operations. For example, they proposed a centralized and scalable renewable energy system for all the existing and future telescopes in the area, harnessing its immense solar generation potential. In that way, this system could significantly reduce both environmental impact and investment/operational costs. Moreover, centralized efforts led by a specialized team dedicated to sustainability and energy issues were also mentioned, allowing astronomers and telescope operators to focus on their responsibilities.
Exploring remote observations
One of the main activities of astronomers is to use astronomical facilities to carry out their research, often having to travel from a European country to the Chajnantor plateau in Chile, which implies an additional carbon footprint. Remote observation is a potential mitigation aiming at reducing carbon emissions from these travels, avoiding the need for continuous personnel at this remote location and the high risk of the high altitude conditions. Although feasible, this approach requires substantial investments in infrastructure and logistics, both in the remote observing station and the telescope itself. Some attendees working on constructing the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) highlighted the long-term benefits of incorporating remote operations into project planning, emphasizing reduced environmental impact and operational costs.
Defining responsibilities
Discussions also went deep into allocating responsibilities for fostering sustainability in astronomy. Survey responses indicated people in charge of observatories should be accounted for the most significant responsibility with 50% of the answers, followed by astronomers and funding agencies with 21%, and politicians getting the lowest with 7%. However, workshop participants emphasized the cross-cutting collective responsibility among these actors, with astronomers and operators having a special responsibility to make others aware of the challenges and problems in making astronomy sustainable.
In conclusion, the workshops facilitated critical discussion and proposed actionable strategies among the stakeholders to advance sustainability within the astronomy community. While stakeholders continue collaborating and working together, a more environmentally responsible future could be seen in the development of astronomical projects.
