[aragilar]

My understanding is ESO uses local labour where possible (e.g on building the ELT, maintenance, catering, transport), so it's not like it's one guy in a shed, there are jobs and economic benefits. That's why this seems so confusing to me, I can't see why you can't have both?

[throw5959]

Do you mean that the economical output of astronomy and this industrial project is comparable?