Every month, Gianna Patchen, our Chapter Coordinator, and Andrew Christie, a member of the chapter’s Conservation Committee and Chapter Director from 2004-2023, publish an opinion column in New Times. Here are summaries, with links to their most recent articles.
Sticker shock at Diablo Canyon
Published in New Times on April 23, 2026
In the May installment, UC Santa Barbara blows the whistle on the exorbitant cost of keeping Diablo Canyon operating and the Tribune asks the right questions: “How much will it cost us to keep Diablo Canyon open 20 more years, versus relying on other forms of energy? How reliable are demand projections? How much alternative energy—solar, wind, geothermal, battery power, etc.—is scheduled to come online over the next 10 years?”
Oceano and endangered species deserve a permanently safe beach
Published in New Times on May 21, 2026
The June installment notes that the lawsuit that recently shut down the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Riding Area provided another rare opportunity for normal beach recreation for residents, and that the previous closure during COVID “did not have a material impact on the county’s economy” and “Oceano’s [lodging] revenue actually increased.” It’s time to start envisioning a vehicle-free future for the dunes.