1. Some key takeaways I get from my solar energy article include the fact that solar energy is cheaper than most coal processing and natural gas factories. Also, the sun's energy is a free and renewable resource to harvest and then convert into energy for lower prices each year. After reading over the sustainability story, I noticed that lunch attendants at high schools have started to use their own ingredients from farms, including grass-fed beef and natural vegetables. In addition, with many opportunities to use the land for sustainable practices such as farming and harvesting natural energy, it's crucial that we take advantage before we continually contribute to climate change.

2. Solar energy has made incredible headway in establishing renewable energy dominance in the U.S. The economy for solar panels is better than ever and more states allowing the facilitation of these panels, the demand for a "free" source of energy is continually rising. My father works for an energy company here in Florida, so I have somewhat of a deeper understanding of the solar energy background. Obtaining this renewable source of power is cheap and extremely efficient, but it's not always consistent. Different weather patterns can affect the energy output of certain panel systems, requiring a lot of back-up energy sources. This could probably come in the form of a generator or a reserve energy system, but this isn't the best idea to rely on. You also have to take into account night time and using back-up energy at night because you aren't harvesting any from the sun. In reference to the article about rethinking sustainability, it's encouraging to see the growth of small sustainable farming practices popping up in different areas of the U.S. Farmers are actually growing and harvesting all the crops themselves without the use of any pesticides. Everything is kept 100% natural and I really believe this practice needs to become mainstream. Nothing synthetic is good for our bodies, we should eat and enjoy crops without the worry of how it will affect us. There's plentiful land all around different states that could be used to create jobs! These farms have the ability to also help the well-being of those involved.

3. Honestly, I didn't know solar energy was starting to become this mainstream. It may be more effective than I think with how much growth it's had, but it did reinforce my notion that you need a back-up source of energy when you're not gathering energy from the sun directly. It seems that since solar panels have become so cheap, more states are jumping on the opportunity to invest in them while they can, and so far it's been paying off nicely. Also, I found it so interesting in the sustainability article that some lunch attendants grow their own ingredients and make natural food for the students. I think that is incredible, and I never thought of that as a possibility in the public education system. I know most of what I used to eat in high school was probably processed rather than natural, but this is a great practice to ensure a healthy student organization.

4. I actually found a story from the New York Times about school lunch as well that I thought was a great one. Librarians at branches in California, New York, Ohio, and Virginia have teamed up to provide lunch meals for hungry kids that may not have food at home or could not buy it at school. It's an amazing service they provide to underprivileged kids to ensure that they don't go hungry. I liked this one because it was very similar to the school lunch idea I saw in my sustainability article.

5. I found this site very interesting to find free sources of news from all over the web. I think this will be a great resource to use for information and help with research!

What are three to six key points or impressions that you will take away from these stories?

Write a 200-word reflection that engages, analyzes, critiques, expands upon, and/or questions what you read or listened to.

Share your reflections on your experience reading, watching or listening to the solutions journalism stories. Did you learn new information; gain new understanding; see things with a different perspective than you had in the past? Did the stories reinforce an idea or thought you'd previously had? Did you meet new people, or learn about opportunities you were previously unaware of? 

Were there other stories this week that you’d like to give an “honorable mention” -- that you enjoyed, but were not your top choice to share?

What else would you like to share?