Green Glossary: Car Sharing

Car sharing, as a concept, allows people to "rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour." Colin Dunn calls car sharing, "a great alternative to car ownership, especially for those of us who live in cities, car-sharing services offer the opportunity to have ready access to wheels without the hassles of paying for gas and insurance, and even finding parking."

"The process of car-share reservations is rather ingenious," says Jessica Toothman. First, a member decides to reserve a car. Depending on the company, you might be able to do this online, by phone or by text message...Reservations can be made on the spot or far in advance, and the minimum time for car use is generally one hour. The earlier you book your reservation, the more likely you'll get the car you want."

While the original form of this trend dates back to 1948, in the twenty-first century it's gone global—for example: the UK, in Paris, and the Big Apple.

For the uninitiated, Wiki and Treehugger offer some helpful links.