Hello – here’s today’s good climate and environment news.

 🍚 The rice that’s resistant to extreme heat

A staple across Asia, rice is under threat as global temperatures rise, resulting in smaller yields of worse quality. But scientists have now discovered a gene variant that is far more resilient to heat, which could strengthen food security and protect the incomes of smallholder farmers. The researchers tested different rice strains to find those that responded well to hotter temperatures, and pinpointed the gene responsible. By breeding this gene into a common rice variety, they increased its yield by 80% in heat-stressed conditions without any sacrifice in quality.

🚲 The e-bikes pushing past roadblocks in Rwanda

Despite frequent power outages, Rwanda is determined to turn its 100,000 motorbikes electric. A host of solutions to the country’s weak electricity grid are popping up, from harnessing solar power as an off-grid solution to swapping out exhausted batteries for freshly charged ones. As well as being cheaper to run, each electric motorbikes cuts 2.6 tonnes of CO2 every year – and if Rwanda pulls this off, it could spark a shift across the African continent.

🎭 Using theatre to engage communities on climate

In rural eastern Zimbabwe, climate issues are being tackled through ‘legislative theatre’ – plays written by community members that invite policymakers to step onstage and explore different perspectives. The plays end at a point of crisis, where it becomes the audiences’ turn to imagine the best path forward – and turn their outcomes into real climate solutions.