From slate.com’s Green Lantern
By Nina Shen Rastogi
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
“Over the summer, the high school where I teach had a complete makeover—which included replacing all our old chalkboards with whiteboards. I’m happy not to be breathing in any more chalk dust, but with all those plastic pens I’ll be throwing away, is the new system really any better for the environment than the old?”
Read the Green Lantern’s answer. Think. Respond.
A little Google-ing goes a long way. Result:
1. Chalk dust is a health hazard and, of all things, fire hazard! Lots of other cons. Read them here: http://www.wisegeek.com/is-chalk-dust-harmful.htm
2. Whiteboard has its share of cons but there’s a product that can eliminate the cons, check it here: http://www.ecosmartworld.com/
There you go.
Scraping a piece of chalk always instilled a feeling of deep connection with pre-French paleolithic cave artists. I only regret that I was never able to think of a reason to draw bison or a big woolly mammoth. Whiteboards can’t match that visceral connection to the past. But using them, I sneeze less.
Chalk boards give me the willies.