If you've noticed a lot of strange weather recently, you're not alone.

In the wake of Hurricane Irene we took little action to protect ourselves from future storms. Hurricane Sandy has now left us a mess, although nothing like the damage inflicted by the great Hurricane of 1938.

This July was the all-time hottest month on record in the United States; there was severe drought in our nation's breadbasket, wild fires that devastated our forests out west and the insidious accelerating sea-level rise in our region.

But despite the reality of climate change and the dirty weather that comes with it, our leaders aren't stepping up to solve this problem. Perhaps they have been influenced by the climate change deniers, who have spent unprecedented amounts of money to mislead and confuse us about science and the severity of the climate crisis.

We need a global conversation about the crisis we face and the urgent need for solutions. It's welcome news that The Climate Reality Project and Al Gore will host a global webcast beginning at 8 tonight called 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report. Anyone can RSVP at www.climaterealityproject.org.

I urge you to join the discussion. I'll be there.