Surveys of SURFER readers show they are statistically more intelligent than other surf fans. That’s why they know canaries, the birds, not the Atlantic slab magnet, are biologically sensitive. A high metabolic rate and rapid respiratory system mean they are far more sensitive to toxic and odorless gases than humans.

That’s why, in the late 19th and 20th centuries, coal miners carried caged live canaries down into underground shafts. If the birds collapsed, it was time to evacuate. Surprisingly, the practice was used in the UK up until as recent at 1986. Until a far more toxic threat, called Maggie Thatcher, shut down all the mines.

What’s this got to do with surfing? Well, a new scientific paper, published in the journal Climate Change , has found that of 57 internationally significant surf breaks, most face real risk from climate change.…