By Spencer Critchley, as published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel

By now it's clear that the future of the world economy is a sustainable one, as global investment trends attest. As the cost of cleaner technologies falls ever lower, sustainability is becoming a question not of limits, but of opportunities.

Imagine then, the possibilities for a region that combined these assets: world-class academic and defense institutions, excellent infrastructure, a coastal California/Pacific Rim location, some of the most fertile land in the world, a culture of innovation and a quality of life that attracts talent from all over the planet.

There is such a region. We live in it. The Central Coast is equipped to benefit mightily from the sustainable future, if we recognize the opportunities.