To the editor:

In September 2017, Representative Jack Bergman joined the bipartisan congressional Climate Solutions Caucus at the urging of a dedicated group of high school students.

Since then he has utterly failed to keep his promise to the young people who worked so hard to help him understand the perils of climate change and the opportunities for economically viable solutions. Indeed his voting record shows complete disregard for climate action. He has repeatedly voted against restraining wasteful methane emissions and in favor of off-shore fossil fuel drilling. He supported withdrawing our country from the Paris Agreement, which was universally adopted by all nations as a cooperative, voluntary strategy to reduce emissions of dangerous heat trapping gases into our atmosphere.

In those votes Bergman is voting against the wishes of his own constituents; 55% of people in Michigan’s first district are worried about global warming, 64% fear it will harm future generations, and 56% say congress should do more to address it. Even a majority of Bergman’s neighbors in Louisiana think the government, including congress, needs to take more action on climate.

The climate crisis is considered a threat multiplier by the armed forces. It is already causing devastating fires in Australia, severe flooding of Midwestern farms, devastating storms around the globe, and waves of climate-refugees. Scientists are clear that climate instability is a clear and present danger unless we act rapidly together to reduce emissions. This is not “just” an environmental problem; it’s a huge economic and national security problem.

In the face of overwhelming evidence of climate instability and projections of worse to come, Bergman’s dismissive statement that “you are scaring the children” is insulting to scientists and to the concerned young people in his district.

When I get in an airplane I trust that the pilot reads and understands the data on the control panels, consults with experts about flying conditions, and puts human lives above profits when assessing risks. Representative Bergman is ignoring both data and experts on climate, and is blithely disregarding risks to his constituents.

I do not trust Representative Bergman to steer our planet.