Education

Was This University Professor Fired for Global Warming Skepticism?

Bloggers Claim Oregon State University Professor Was Fired for Global Warming Beliefs

Some are saying Nicholas Drapela was let go from the Oregon State University for his views on global warming. (Photo: KVAL)

Students have called Oregon State University chemistry professor Nicholas Drapela a memorable instructor who was great at what he did. But Drapela says he recently lost his job with the university out of the blue, and the only reason he — and some bloggers — can think of as to why are his beliefs in global warming.

According to KVAL-TV, Drapela said he was “stunned” when his contract wasn’t renewed for the fall — and he wants answers:

“They did not provide a reason. I asked and they said this isn’t the time to talk about it,” he said. “I was stunned. Where else do you talk about it but in the office of the person that let you go?”

He said he went all the way to the Vice President of Academic Affairs looking for answers, but got nowhere.

“I’m not trying to challenge anyone, I just want to know,” said Drapela.

KVAL states university officials have said Drapela‘s beliefs about global warming are in no way to blame for his contract not being renewed but still aren’t providing more specifics on his situation.

Watch the report:

Speculation that Drapela was let go for his climate skepticism began on blogs. Here are a few of them:

Drapela has voiced his goal to “uncover as much factual information as I can” about global warming data on his page of the university website:

My goal in this arena is to uncover as much factual information as I can for the informed citizen and to make this knowledge readily accessible to the public.  Philosophically, it is problematic to consider any one group of society as keepers of Truth (whether they be clergy or scientists) and to consider their assessments as beyond the reproach of the “common” people.  It is to this end that I make an attempt on this site to publish facts which are accessible to all of society, and especially those facts which have suffered from remarkable underexposure in mainstream public outlets which have the most powerful effects on shaping public opinion, such as the media, Hollywood, and academia.

On this site, Drapela says that most data would answer “no” to the following questions: Is the Earth warming? If so if the warming potentially catastrophic? If so, is this warming primarily caused by CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere?

Vice President of University Relations Steve Clark told KVAL though that the “university really doesn‘t care about an individual’s personal views or their personal activities.”

During his 10 years with the university, the Daily Caller reports, Drapela had published a number of books, was promoted to the senior instructor level and received an award for being an “outstanding and inspirational teacher.“ Drapela told the Daily Caller he is still ”blindsided” by this news, which he was alerted to on May 29 while classes were still in session.

(H/T: Fox News)

Comments (56)

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  • Whtwulf
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 6:10pm

    If the university does not have to provide a reason to fire him they are well within their rights to do so. Does this make it fair or right, no. Now the professor can bring this to the attention of the media and then the public can voice their opinons and maybe things will change.

    Report Post »  
  • suz
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 5:54pm

    oh, so it‘s not time to about why you got fired while you’re getting fired.

    Report Post » suz  
  • Tom Ballard
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 4:59pm

    Fire the good Teachers, keep the bad ones very progressive

    Report Post » Tom Ballard  
  • DIR
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 4:17pm

    “Was This University Professor Fired for Global Warming Skepticism?”

    Probably!, It’s unfortunate, but that‘s what happens when ’inmates are allowed to take over the asylum’. You are at their mercy. They get what they want or else. Nicholas has probably taken it in the shorts. Until the majority get fed up and take back the Country, this will continue.

    Report Post »  
  • wvernon1981
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 4:14pm

    So this entire article is based on nothing more than speculation without any evidence? What a waste of time.

    Report Post »  
  • AUsername
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 3:08pm

    My Geology and Geography professors are still employed and they said there is lack of proof that human interaction is the primary cause of global warming and lack of proof that global warming is even an issue to take action on. there employed in liberal areas of a centrist state.

    Report Post » AUsername  
    • Ohello
      Posted on June 21, 2012 at 12:38am

      Fire one who gets out of line ideologically and the others will be “nudged” into compliance.

      Report Post »  
  • ramcam6
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 2:14pm

    Maybe Media Doesn’t Matter could tell us why he was not renewed. I sounds like his reviews were stellar and those that spoke praised him. The underachieving tenured professors were probably tired of being shown up by a great young professor. Some other college will be lucky to get him.

    Report Post » ramcam6  
  • Carlinpa
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:46pm

    yup another example of liberal deceit and hypocrisy. The liberals are always mocking The Catholic church on it’s stands in the past and for measures of excommunication and now with their new religion of man made globul warming, they are doing the same thing.

    Report Post »  
  • Walkabout
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:40pm

    One the plus side

    1) 10 years with the university (meaning they had no complaint for those years)
    2) promoted to the senior instructor level
    3) received an award for being an “outstanding and inspirational teacher.

    On the negative side
    1) ?

    This is a public university & not a private business. The public has a right to know how it is being run.
    In Oregon there was the scientist (?) who though AGW skeptics should be locked up as insane. Her name was Kirsten ___gaard or some Norwegian name. So she is okay but he is not. If that is true then an education at a university is becoming worthless.

    Report Post »  
  • BlackCrow
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:00pm

    Be glad they no longer burn heretics at the stake.

    Report Post » BlackCrow  
    • lukerw
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:09pm

      Nope… they just go to work for the Government!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Chuck Stein
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 3:17pm

      The “heretics” that Blackcrow is talking about do NOT get jobs with the government.

      Report Post »  
    • wvernon1981
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 4:16pm

      There isn’t any evidence that he was fired over his opinion on climate change.

      Report Post »  
    • mtcountrygrl
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 4:26pm

      @wvernon1981
      Obviously you have never had the plessure of “questioning” the smartest people on earth (academia). They DO NOT tollerate questions or dissenting opinions.

      Report Post »  
    • wvernon1981
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 6:40pm

      I don’t really care about academia in this case. My original point stands regardless. There is no evidence that he was fired for that reason. There is only baseless speculation. Provide some actual evidence and I’ll accept it.

      Report Post »  
    • IndyGuy
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:51pm

      @wvernon1981…You need to live in Oregon…Since you can’t put 2 and 2 together the academia can tell you what to think…

      Report Post » IndyGuy  
  • Jacopone
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:22pm

    For some time now, OSU has seriously been competing with Occidental College for the title of “Little Red School House of the Western States”. Where else would Michelle Obama’s brother go to be a coach?

    Report Post »  
    • johnjamison
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:37pm

      Someone should have told the professor that when you sign onto be in THE COLLECTIVE that is the education system you‘re not alllowed to have an oppinion of you’re own that isn’t approved by the higharchy

      Report Post »  
    • iStutter
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:48pm

      @JohnJamison

      Then I guess I’m getting fired soon!

      Report Post » iStutter  
  • de31372
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:14pm

    Of course this man was fired because he dared speak up. How dare anyone say that the emperor has no clothes. Are you ready? http://www.bigrede.com

    Report Post »  
  • freedoc
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:08pm

    THe irony is, of course, that its virtually impossible to fire any teacher, or professor, at any level, regardless of their incompetence, or slanted viewpoints. In fact, more often than not, they get a press release, because somehow they were ‘discriminated’ against.

    It take no rocket scientist to determine that his stance and teachings on s0-called ‘global climate change” are precisely why he was fired.

    I live in Oregon. This is routine witch-hunting in this state. No suprise.

    Report Post »  
    • IndyGuy
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:47pm

      O.K….I may have exaggerated a little…Not everybody in Oregon is indoctrinated…FREEDOC appears to have made it thru with a mind of his own intact…Everybody else has been indoctrinated…

      Report Post » IndyGuy  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:05pm

    The left is making billions off the global warming scam, that’s the reason they defend it at all costs…..money….

    Report Post »  
  • Conservative-Atheist
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:02pm

    In the seventies he might have been fired for suggesting that the Earth wasn’t cooling. Did anyone else see some of those global cooling scare movies from back then? Pretty funny to watch now.

    Report Post » Conservative-Atheist  
    • CatB
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:03pm

      Yes .. but now even more than then … discussion is NOT allowed .. you agree with the regime or you are gone …

      Report Post »  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:16pm

      Or today, one could be fired for not believing in Darwinism. One could be fired for laughing at the big bang theory, questioning how it goes against the laws of thermodynamics, or how carbon dating is a flawed joke, or the fact that science uses circular reasoning to date earth layers and fossils, or the incredible joke of life being started by a primeval “soup” over millions of years.

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:20pm

      I remember the ice age scare (thought it was early 80′s). We had a guy build an underground bunker/house. When the ice age didn’t come, he turned it into a gun shop.

      Report Post »  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:54pm

      Really? I thought this only happened “once-in-a-blue-moon” when this article reads, “out of the blue”….Is there a theme (don’t need a clue) going on here & other similar situations…..”THE-COLOR-BLUE”??? I got “a-clue/a leg-up” when seeing a map of how this state votes, so not surprised and others are not surprised too that have posted on this story. I have a friend that use to live in Oregon and still has a rental home there that she is trying to sell but because of the housing values, it may be awhile to get a good price.

      Report Post »  
  • IndyGuy
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:00pm

    What did he expect….He‘s in Oregon for Christ’s sake…The whole state has been indoctrinated…I know,I grew up there…Had to challenge my teachers every step of the way…

    Report Post » IndyGuy  
  • AllLost
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:58am

    He had a contract. It ended. The college failed to give him a new contract. No explanation is needed. Was it because he was ______(enter statement here)? Probably. Does it matter? No.

    The problem is that in higher learning a few for-life tenured profs control the campus and the hiring. From the 50′s until today thoughts and opinions on campus have been narrowed and nothing else is tolerated. Adjuncts are screwed.

    Very little at the university level is worthwhile. If our elementary and high schools would do their jobs people would not need a bachelors degree to get a job.

    Report Post »  
    • Athinkerinaseaoflibs
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:50pm

      The fact of the matter is that he should be protected by his hiring clause that nearly all employers state that they do not discriminate on account of several things including religion. There is no other way for people to view the argument of global warming or whatever the latest phrase that is used in an attempt to fit the latest ginned up data. Science it is not. The validity of an argument in science is not determined by who has the most supporters, who repeats their position the most or screams the loudest. It just does not work that way. If every person on the planet believed that Global Warming was true, it has no better chance of being correct than if it were postulated by only one. For that matter, scientific facts can exist even if no one is aware of them.
      Personally, the data does not convince me. All of the “data” as it is shown is postulation of what might happen. It all looks like they drew their curves and then plotted their points. Computer models of very large systems based on very limited observations are extremely sensitive to any changes in the model or the boundary conditions. That is EXACTLY what the global warming alarmists are basing things on.

      Report Post »  
  • HKS
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:57am

    Must be careful speaking the truth in a communist society. The truth would be what ever the emperor says it is.

    Report Post » HKS  
    • phillyatheist
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:06pm

      it’s funny, when an article at the Blaze is about a teacher getting fired from a private, Christian school for violating some conscience clause, everyone here chimes in about how it’s a private school, and they have their rules, if you don’t like it, don’t work there. somehow when the shoe is on the other foot though…

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
  • Solidspine
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:54am

    It is surprising, no it is scary some morons still believe in global warming, thought that and the flat earth idea were pretty

    much over, just another typical democratic scam that everyone could see through immediately

    Report Post »  
  • DJ in AZ
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:54am

    Maybe he was just a casualty of budget issues brought about by a lousy economy. I‘d still like to hear the school’s explanation, though.

    Report Post »  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 12:06pm

      Usually when that is the case they tell you. “Sorry, Bob. Our budget has been cut this year and we just don’t have room for X number of teachers in X Dept. Here’s and excellent letter of reference and severance.”

      Report Post » Cavallo  
  • lukerw
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:51am

    Man/Bear/Pig is real… and is on the Evolutionary Chart in the Class Rooms!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • AustinMilbarge
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:50am

    It’s Oregon, he’s white and male. Go figure.

    Report Post »  
  • frogg
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:39am

    I guess that he saw the Photo that NASA published where the Artic ocean was white instead of blue? Funny, but where I come from white means ice, but if the Artic ocean is all covered in Ice then I guess that means that it is cold up on the North pole!!!!! Just maybe someone has been fibbing to us? Nah,— that couldn’t be, could it??????

    Report Post » frogg  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on June 20, 2012 at 1:02pm

      I am going to jump on a silly notion…..someone is going to require Santa Claus to wear a spedo (sp)…Oh wait….”obese-police” will lock-up Santa Claus in a weight-loss-clinic for 364 days and when this “Happy-Holidays” day comes along, we will see a “slim-spedo-santa”.

      Report Post »  
  • OutOfTheAether
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:38am

    The fact he can’t get anyone to tel him WHY, sends a loud and clear message as far as I’m concerned. They hadn’t thought up of another reason yet to give out – spin doctors must be on vacation, or something – and the real reason is exactly as it’s being suspected: He not supporting the whole Global Warming thing

    Report Post » OutOfTheAether  
  • sWampy
    Posted on June 20, 2012 at 11:34am

    Liberals hate the truth, and will cover it up at every turn.

    Report Post »  
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