This op ed goes overboard to make a point. Some of their statements don't match my experience
I have heavy clay soil and usually get sporadic but reasonably heavy rain. My soil needs a lot more organic matter. Mulch is a much quicker way of accomplishing that than dense plantings. They claim mulch takes years to break down, but in my climate, all but the top crust of untreated mulch nearly breaks down in a single season. I have garden beds with and without hardwood mulch. The beds with mulch tolerate heat waves notably better than the ones without. I have had beds that languished for years that then grew much better after applying mulch.
That said not all mulch is the same. I used chipdrop to get untreated hardwood mulch. That breaks down much faster than dyed cedar mulch that landscaping crews around here use. They want mulch to maintain a certain aesthetic and not break down, I want my mulch to decompose.
The truth is gardening techniques really depend on what you're growing, where you're growing, and what your soil is like. The best thing to do is try out a variety of things and see what produces results you like. That and to make friends with people who have more experience gardening in your area than you do.
I will mock bright red mulch valcanos that create girdling roots around all the improperly planted trees with anyone who will listen, but I won't agree with a no mulch ever stance.