Tampa has been given the all-clear signal for Isaac, the tropical storm expected to grow in strength to a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, but Isaac is not out in the Gulf headed for Gulf shore areas as a Category 1 hurricane.

Bill McKibben, climate expert and founder of 350.org has a piece reminding us that the extreme and extremely dangerous weather events we’re seeing across the US are occurring in a context of global climate change. With Bill’s permission, we’re reposting his article which appears at Daily Beast.

Climate change, massive fires, droughts, record temperatures. It’s official: June 2012 was the hottest June on record in Denver, CO (dating back to 1872) with an average temperature of 75F, 7.6F above normal! Yesterday’s high of 101F added to the total number of days of 100F+ temperatures: to date, there are now 7. Last week, there were 5 days in a row of 100F+ heat, matching the all-time record for Denver.

What was the hardest part about pedaling a bike 300 miles from Manhattan to Washington, D.C.? The head winds in central New Jersey certainly weren’t a picnic. The horse poop along Amish country roads was a challenge. Then there were the rain-slippery bridges near St. Peter’s Village, PA and the seemingly endless hills of Maryland’s northern horse country.