Slate Magazine's Green Lantern series provides illuminating answers to environmental questions.

Here is the latest question which relates to environmental impact of pencils.

"As a new middle-school teacher, I'm facing a challenge I never thought about before: assigning a list of school supplies for my students. My colleagues tell me that there's a real downside to wooden pencils, since it gives students an excuse to get up every few minutes and use the pencil sharpener. But am I being environmentally irresponsible by asking parents to buy plastic mechanical pencils?"

For the Green Lantern's answer read on here.