It’s been a cold winter so far in Josie’s hometown of Brooklyn. New Year’s Eve was so cold that the President tweeted about it: “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming…”

When we have cold weather, does that mean global warming isn’t happening?

Of course not!

First, let’s remember that global warming and climate change are the same thing. They refer to the gradual warming of the average temperatures all over the earth (including the oceans).

The weather changes every day, but the climate changes only very gradually. Weather is what we experience each hour, day and week. Climate is the pattern of weather and the averages over the course of the whole year. The weather determines what we wear. The climate determines what kinds of animals and plants live in a place, and what kinds of crops can grow.

If you have salad for dinner it doesn’t mean you’re a vegetarian. If you catch a cold it doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. And if it’s cold for a few days, it doesn’t mean global warming isn’t happening.

When it’s cold, lots of people joke they’d like to get some global warming. But they’re joking.

Josie and her pals enjoy a good global warming joke as much as anyone. Unfortunately, denying climate change isn’t funny.