Story Info
Story Info
Pete Maniscalco
Shoreham, New York, USA
2017
Type of Wounded Place
Story & Experience
On this sacred day—June 20, 2017—the NY State Legislature (Assembly & Senate) approved a bill that makes the 1,000 acres of woodland surrounding the defunct Shoreham Nuclear plant a part of the LI Pine Barrens Preserve. It has taken 40 years to accomplish this transformation from a nuke that threatened all life to a parkland-preserve that affirms all life. During that time I was arrested 5 times to bring a laser-like focus to a critical moment in the battle to keep the nuke from opening. Long Islanders are the only people in the world to keep a completed nuclear plant from opening.
I equate what we accomplished with modern mythology and is the finest teaching story in Long Island’s recorded history. In mythology, wherever the monster is slain—that place becomes an “axis-mundi” or “world-center”—where the community is renewed and refreshed. It took 40 years of patience and perseverance but we did it!
The model that we created may be used throughout the world by progressive people dealing with today’s political chaos. It is an inspirational, powerful model of citizen-driven democracy. As Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Amen!
On this sacred day—June 20, 2017—the NY State Legislature (Assembly & Senate) approved a bill that makes the 1,000 acres of woodland surrounding the defunct Shoreham Nuclear plant a part of the LI Pine Barrens Preserve. It has taken 40 years to accomplish this transformation from a nuke that threatened all life to a parkland-preserve that affirms all life. During that time I was arrested 5 times to bring a laser-like focus to a critical moment in the battle to keep the nuke from opening. Long Islanders are the only people in the world to keep a completed nuclear plant from opening.
I equate what we accomplished with modern mythology and is the finest teaching story in Long Island’s recorded history. In mythology, wherever the monster is slain—that place becomes an “axis-mundi” or “world-center”—where the community is renewed and refreshed. It took 40 years of patience and perseverance but we did it!
The model that we created may be used throughout the world by progressive people dealing with today’s political chaos. It is an inspirational, powerful model of citizen-driven democracy. As Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Amen!
Shoreham, New York, USA
RECENT STORIES
For the Gulf Coast
Our beaches are being bombarded almost daily since the end of the first week of the sinking of the Deep Water Horizon with gatherings of people or all stripes: protests, prayer groups, volunteers, rallies for [...]
Remembrance Day for Lost Species in Helsinki 2023
On November 30th, there was first a session organized by the Finnish social and health sector project about eco-anxiety and eco-emotions (www.ymparistoahdistus.fi). This “morning coffee roundtable”, a hybrid event, focused this time on ecological grief [...]
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an area of natural beauty in West Sussex, England. It is also one of the very few remaining areas of extensive lowland heath left in Europe. This rare and threatened landscape is [...]