Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky...cancel culture.

Dr. Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington, is a scholar of fact-based climate and weather science.

https://sites.uw.edu/cmass/

Cancel Climate

Dr. Mass was fired from his position at KNKX Radio, formerly KPLU, for a critical review in his personal blog which "discusses current weather, weather prediction, climate issues, and current events."

His response to the firing:

1. The leaders of KNKX justified my firing based upon my August 5th blog post that criticized violent individuals in downtown Seattle, criticized the City Council, supported Chief Best, and noted some similarities to what happened in Germany in the 1930s.
2. The leaders of KNKX terminated me the next day without speaking to me before they made the decision. They also did not discuss the matter with the KNKX Advisory Council.
3. KNKX put out a statement that was factually untrue and easily can be proven false.
4. Activist groups have been trying to get me dismissed from KNKX for over a year because they are unhappy with my science-based approach to climate change.
5. KNKX did not oppose my advocacy when I supported progressive viewpoints, but was uncomfortable with my moderate stances.
6. KNKX management is beholden to and attempts to please left-leaning activist donors.
7. That NPR is full of examples of calling Republicans and police Nazis and brownshirts, but if someone suggests the violent left have evinced Fascist behavior, that is reason for termination.

Further on, Dr. Mass states:

Just to be completely clear I am a strong supporter of peaceful protests and assemblies. It is an essential aspect of our democracy and protected in the U.S. Constitution. Peaceful protests have played a critical role in many positive social movements, such as woman suffrage, ending the Vietnam war, and in promoting civil rights. I have participated in peaceful protests myself. But violence—destroying business and hurting people—is a different story. It is not only illegal, and destructive, but it undermines civil society and democracy, and usually hurts the least advantaged among us the most. That is what I was speaking out against.

Formerly allied with Pacific Lutheran University as KPLU, KNKX has been exceptional in its support for the arts. It has always offered excellent jazz programming. Unfortunately, like most public radio stations these days, KNKX commentary programming is merely faddist, too often cloning its extreme leftist cousins in the commercial media but cloaking the same extremist red ideology in a polite wrapper. Perhaps supporters might reconsider putting their hard-earned cash elsewhere now that KNKX allows itself to be bullied by activists into cancelling the facts and the people who promote the facts.

Dr. Mass identifies the bullies, bullies who fear the facts.

Now I have probably written more papers and done more research on Northwest weather and climate than any other individual. I know the literature. I attend the seminars. I wrote a book on NW weather and climate. I have spent a lifetime learning about it. But a bunch of climate activists, such as groups like 350.org decided they knew better. They were particularly unhappy when I exposed some of the hype and exaggeration promulgated by the activist crowd (e.g., that climate change is a short-term existential threat to mankind). There were also some wealthy, activist KNKX donors that were unhappy with my blog. These climate activists demanded that I talk about "existential climate threats" on KNKX and stop my climate fact checking on my blog. I was a threat to them: knowledgeable, credible, and with access to the media. And they wanted that to end.

Well, all this came to a head this year, when Seattle350.org put out a petition with the aim of getting me removed from KNKX.

I offered to come to a 350.org meeting to talk about the science with them, but they refused. I asked them to specify what I got wrong, they could not. But the station management was afraid of the 350.org mob and KNKX donor sympathizes, and decided to spend a great deal of money in getting me “evaluated.” Unbelievable.

Thanks but no thanks.

It should be noted that Dr. Mass has been a financial supporter of KNKX. His support helped enable the station to weather (pun not intended) financial hardship and to transition to an independent radio station. When push comes to shove and your spineless beneficiaries are confronted by "activists donors", you'll be the one who gets shoved out the door, a reminder to the fair-minded that no good deed goes unpunished.

Credibility 101: defend the facts

KNKX has embarrassed itself for cancelling a reputable academic and scientist. Which is to say that KNKX has cancelled itself as a reputable station. The more fair-minded supporters of KNKX would do well to reevaluate their support for a station that cares more about feeding and housing trolls than standing up to them.