You see, the thing about climate change is that the climate is changing from what has previously been considered normal. Although climate change is now used interchangeably with "global warming", climate change doesn't only imply warming temperatures. It has also been attributed to increased droughts, floods, stronger hurricanes, just to pick a few changes in weather as a result of global climate change. Quick science lesson (for here at EnviroWonk, we aren't just politics nerds, we are science nerds too):

• Weather is atmospheric conditions in a specific area over a short period of time.
• Climate is the long-term average of weather patterns.

So we talk about what the weather is like today, or even the past week. But, we talk about climate when we say that spring has been coming earlier, or winters are not as cold as they used to be. A single day of weather, or even a single season, does not a change in climate make.

It's simple enough to understand, which is why we are not surprised that climate skeptics have started to jump all over this cold winter as evidence that Al Gore is the biggest con man since Frank Abagnale.

In what has to be the best disclaimer in history, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Republican minority blog, whose Ranking member we can never forget is Senator Inhofe, felt the need to explain their clever, snarky headline, and thereby drain all humor from the situation:

Earth's 'Fever' Breaks: Global COOLING Currently Under Way

[Disclaimer: Since there is no "normal" temperature of the Earth, there is no way the Earth can have a "fever." The headline's reference to "fever" is for amusement purposes only. See also the U.S. Senate Minority Report:"Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007" - LINK ]

Unfortunately, the only way to prove the skeptics wrong is to just wait until say, the arctic ice retreats to record low levels this summer, despite the unusually harsh weather -- a sure sign that the long-term trend of climate change is moving along.

We would like to challenge climate skeptics to put their money where their mouth is and invest in oceanfront property in Florida. Surely, if you believe we have nothing to worry about, then purchasing a lovely beach home will not only bring you years of wonderful, sun-drenched memories.

But if your home is still there, in once piece, completely above sea-level in 50 years, then EnviroWonk will take back all of the mean things we have said and thought about you, while hanging out with the not endangered polar bears and watching the leaves change color in New England. Do we have a deal?