Last spring, Xerox Corporation introduced its ColorQube^™ 9200 Series multifunction printer (MFP) with a straightforward proposition – affordable color that lowers the environmental impact of office printing.  One year later, organizations around the world say it’s true – solid ink technology is making a positive impact on business and the environment.

“The technology behind the ColorQube 9200 Series, along with Xerox’s marketing of the solution, has been very well-received in the marketplace,” said Angele Boyd, GVP/GM, Imaging/Output/Document Solutions, IDC. “The MFP is answering a definite need for businesses worldwide and is a testimony to the benefits of Xerox’s solid ink technology.”

Customers using the ColorQube 9200 Series to cut costs and meet their sustainability goals include:

• CityCenter (U.S.), an urban destination of hotels and residences, spas, dining and shopping on the Las Vegas Strip, recently installed 37 ColorQube 9200 MFPs to help meet sustainability goals. The MFPs generate 90 percent less supplies waste, 9 percent less lifecycle energy and 10 percent fewer greenhouse gases than a comparable laser-based product and are located in every property in the development, including the flagship ARIA Resort & Casino.  CityCenter has achieved six LEED^® gold certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council. The solid ink MFPs are just one part of its commitment to using sustainable elements and practices to create a healthier environment at CityCenter.

The ColorQube 9200 Series is helping businesses in Europe reduce their color printing costs, including Capespan (U.K.), a leading fresh produce company that installed two ColorQube 9200 MFPs at its headquarters earlier this year. The MFPs cut the cost of color pages by up to 62 percent compared to traditional color lasers, without compromising print quality, saving the company thousands of dollars. “When looking for new office printing equipment, our objective was to consolidate the total number of printers, while retaining productivity levels,” said Jeremy Sykes, network manager, Capespan. “The ColorQube 9200s have accomplished this goal with a lower cost of ownership and impressive reliability.”

Find out more about the ColorQube at this Friday's BIG & Local Expo at the Gaillard.  Or contact Sara Folk at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 843-437-7629.  Visit Xerox of Charleston at www.xeroxcharleston.com. 

On the day this column comes out, it will be the 63rd day of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, one of the worst environmental disasters in American history. Every day the hole in the ocean floor is gushing tens of thousands of oil into the Gulf. As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, I have followed the news, the talking heads, the outrage of the public, the PR blunders by BP, and the slow call to action by our government. Everyone has someone to blame. One school of thought says it is BP's fault. The company that made the device should be able to fix said advice. Seems logical. The other side of the aisle blames President Obama. He should have regulated. He should be doing more now. That seems logical, too. But, the one group of people we are not holding responsible actually holds the key to changing the course of the future: the American Public.

We use more oil in the United States than the continents of Europe, South America, and Africa. It is easy to blame BP, our government, and the perfect storm of conditions that got us here (poor public transportation, relatively wealthy country, and low fuel costs to name a few), but we are not holding ourselves accountable for the role we have played. Demand drives the market and as Americans, we love to consume. And our addiction must be feed, every 25 miles to the gallon (sometimes more, often less). So, how can we change?

Change is not sustainable if it isn't realistic. I know. I drive an SUV. I love my air conditioning in the summer, and I haven't ridden a bike to get anywhere in years. I thought long and hard about realistic changes the average person can make. I can buy a hybrid when I get my next car, but that's not happening anytime soon. It is not realistic to think we are suddenly going to give up our cars or go buy new ones (and that wouldn't be environmentally friendly either), but we can make changes to reduce our dependency on oil in the short term and voice our desires to our leaders for the long term. You can get started by taking a quiz to see how big your transportation carbon footprint is at www.planetgreen.com. Once you do, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

The first thing you can do is make your vehicle as efficient as possible. Reduce the weight within your vehicle, i.e. don't lug around a bunch of junk in your car. Less weight takes less gas to propel you. Slow down. Consumer Reports estimated driving at 65 mph on the freeway instead of 55 means drivers are using 12.5 % more gasoline. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas. Buy low rolling resistance tires, they produce less fiction on the road. This alone could save 270,000 barrels oil per day. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. If motorists kept their tires properly inflated, total savings in 2013 could be as much as 200,000 barrels of oil per day. This would have the added benefits of longer tire life and improved safety. Use fuel-efficient engine oil. Selecting the proper grade of motor oil and using motor oils with additives that reduce friction may increase a vehicle's fuel economy by 1 percent to 2 percent. Widespread use of efficient motor oils could reduce fleet-wide gasoline consumption by 1 percent in 2013, saving 100,000 barrels per day.

Next, try to drive less often. Walk, bike, and utilize public transportation as much as possible. The Obama Administration is increasing spending on walking and biking projects by $1.2 billion. The new policy is an extension of the administration's livability initiative, which regards the creation of non-car transportation including buses, streetcars, and trains, as well as biking and walking, as central to solving the nation's transportation woes. Demand the creation of more sidewalks and bike lanes from our government leaders. Support candidates who support initiatives to improve and support the biking and walking lifestyle choices. Give CARTA a try. Plan errands together for less shopping trips. Walk or bike to errands within one mile. If you are biking, use the new Google Maps feature where you can choose the "Bike There" option. The best part is that the feature doesn't give you the same old route you would drive. It avoids crowded interchanges, uses roads that feature bike lanes and trails and the flattest land.

We all have a voice in this fight and we have all contributed to what got us here in the first place. It is up to us to make responsible changes. Vote with your consumer dollars for more hybrid vehicles, dig a little deeper for the best quality tires and gas, and use your voice with our leaders to express our desire for change from lawmakers, oil companies, and alternative fuels. In the meantime, make a personal commitment to make some realistic, sustainable changes in your life. My fiancé and I are going to carpool to work more and this week, I am going to attempt to ride my bike to work for the first time.

"Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world." - Howard Zinn





Katie Wells will be riding her bike this week. Let her know what you are doing? Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . When Katie isn't writing she runs a customer service company. www.kewsolutionsinc.com

I always have those jitters in the weeks and days leading up to an event that no one will show up for my party.  You would think I had those under control after dozens of these shindigs, but it never fails to happen.  Wild & Scenic was no exception and with five other non-profit organizations, plus theHippodrome Theater counting on me, the pressure was even more intense.  While I will admit that I would have loved to see all 400 hundred seats taken and wall to wall people, I must admit that for the space in the lobby and our After Party concluding the films, it was a perfect crowd at around 200.

The evening started off a little shaky with some issues with my powerpoint (pc vs. mac issues), but in the end, my friend Katie came through with her laptop and expertise and things started off well; if a little late.  All of the films seemed to be well received and it was great to hear the different organizations (SC Aquarium, Coastal Conservation League, SEWE, Lowcountry Earth Force, and Lowcountry Local First) introduce their films by sharing their message and how each film related to Charleston.  Having my partners select the films and share their stories and be there afterwards to answer questions or just talk with attendees really made the event especially meaningful.  And as excited as I was to see many familiar faces, I was even more gratified to see lots of new ones.

After the conclusion of the five films and a few shorts thrown in, World Oriental Kitchen and The Bluestone Ramblers treated us to great music and delicious food.  It was great to hear the different groups talking about ideas to enhance our community and continue to promote our missions. It was nice to wake up to several thank you emails and text messages from people who attended and participated.  I spoke with one of the attendees, Suzanne Simpson, today and she told me how the films inspired her to dig deep and try to find new ways to incorporate some green practices into her new life with two small children.  It made me realize how hard it is (especially with a family to care for); to not fall into old and sometimes easier habits.  Like working out, being green requires a plan and continued focus.  It's easy to fall off the wagon when we are all so busy and distracted.  I hope that as inspired as many of were last night, we can keep that "Earth Day" feeling throughout the year...because really our community is depending on it.  All in all it was a great night and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the participation of these amazing non-profit partners.  I continue to be proud to be a part of such a giving community.  I am thankful each and every day that I can call Charleston home. 

Special Thanks to our sponsors: Half-Moon Outfitters, Charleston City Paper, The Hippodrome Theater, Nature Adventure Outfitters, Charleston Scuba, and Pratt-Thomas and Walker. 

Happy Birthday, Earth Day. This year marks Earth Day's 40th Anniversary. The year of its inception, 1969, the NY Times wrote, "rising concern about the 'environmental crisis' is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam." Forty years later, we find ourselves in a very similar position, with an unpopular war overseas and a growing concern about this planet we call home. The truth is, concern over the planet, is not, and shouldn't be a political issue. It's a human one. If you live and breathe on this planet, the condition of it should be a concern to you. It is only commonsense that we should take care of it.

We take pride in cars, our homes, our clothes, but what about the water we swim in, the air we breathe and the food we eat? It is easy to take it for granted until it starts to fail you. Just like good health, we should be practicing preventative maintenance. Health isn't the absence of disease; it is a state of optimal well-being. Good health can be defined as the difference between ease and disease. A place of ease is when we feel good and are not symptomatic. A place of disease is when our bodies start to show signs of a problem. Just because we are not symptomatic or in a place of ease, does not mean we are always well.

The environment is the same way. The absence of smog in Charleston, oil in our water, or noise pollution doesn't mean we don't have environmental concerns. Drive out to Bees Ferry Landfill and realize how much waste we create daily. Walk down Savannah Highway and try to pick up all the cigarette butts that you see. The more we practice preventative maintenance, the more we can show respect to a planet that provides us with life and leave a place of ease for generations to come. If we treat our environment with care now, just like if we take care of our bodies now, our old age and the Earth's will be active and pain-free.
This Earth Day and this year, take pride in our beautiful Lowcountry by committing to changing your habits. Remember, little changes yield big results. Here are a few ideas to get you started in the following areas:
Water: Reduce the amount of water you use. Cut your shower time down to five minutes. Wash clothes in cold water. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Invest in low-flow adapters for your faucets and showers (available at your local hardware store). Buy a toilet tummy. It is a cheap, money saving device that goes into the back of your toilet to reduce the amount of water it uses.
Recycling & Waste Reduction: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse! Take this slogan to heart. Recycle as much as you can. Reduce your amount of waste by carrying your own re-usable beverage container and shopping bags. Consider not getting a copy of your receipt, if you don't need it. Reuse what you do have. Have a 'stuff swap' with your friends. Use websites like www.craigslist.com and www.freecycle.com to get stuff free or a reduced cost. And to complete the cycle, buy products that use post-consumer content packaging.

Food & Agriculture: Buy locally as much as possible. We are lucky here in the Lowcountry to have so many delicious farms harvesting produce right in our backyard. Shop the local farmer's markets and buy produce that is in season. Consider how far your food had to travel before it reached your plate. If it came from California, that's a pretty big carbon footprint. Plant a garden, even if it's just herbs. This year, get to know where your food comes from. It might change how you think and feel about it.

Energy: Buy Energy Star appliances. Use your fans instead of your thermostat to cool you down this summer. Turn off the lights and appliances when you leave your home. Carpool. Ride your bike.

Economy: Support a green economy. Support businesses that are trying to make a shift in the right direction. You get to vote with your money every time you purchase a product or service. Who and what are you voting for?

Happy Earth Day. Let's give back to Mother Earth by making any changes that fit into your life. It's not Democrat or Republican to be green. It's you and it's me doing what we can to leave a better world for generations to come.

Got a question or topic you would like Katie to address? Email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and follow her on Twitter at katieEwells.