A retired friend with a long history of working in the transport industry said in conversation recently.... 'You know, you Greenies should promote the idea of making sure houses are visibly numbered. :Lots of fuel is used and emissions increased when delivery drivers go around in circles trying to find houses without clearly visible numbering".
Reflecting later on his comment, it seemed a Google search was in order. I couldn't find any links relating house numbering to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Most links mentioned one or more of the reasons listed in an article titled '7 reasons why you need a visible house number' -1) Legal 2) Emergency Services 3) Postie 4) Deliveries (eg. parcel; food, take-out) 5) Family and Friends 6) Home Services 7) Potential Home Buyers.
It seems an eighth reason could be added - 8) To reduce greenhouse emissions!
The '7 Reasons' article makes a number of suggestions for effective house numbering:
"BEST WAYS TO DISPLAY A HOUSE NUMBER
- Your house number should be displayed on the house, on the mailbox (if you have one) and around two feet from the driveway to be seen on the street.
- The colour of the number is important, you will need it to be visible. Place a lightly colored number on a dark coloured background. You will need to check if the sunlight does not make the number fade out of sight.
- Small LED lights will help brighten up the number in the evenings, making it visible for people to see.
- Instead of using stickers, try to use numbers made of brass, acrylic, metal, glass and other materials that will give it a more visible but elegant look.
- Remember to think about size too, bigger is always better. You could display a large sized number on the outside of your house but a small and unique number onto the house itself."
Living in Benalla, every seven years or so itinerant 'house numberers' arrive at my door holding number stencils, iridescent paint and brushes and cheerfully ask if I'd like the house number painted on the kerbside guttering outside my house freshened up. After agreeing on the price, they proceed. This visible house number numbering, together with the brass numbering on the letterbox outside the house, appear to 'do the trick' as deliveries and visits proceed without complaint.
Perhaps 'house numberers' should add 'Reduce Greenhouse Emissions' to their marketing spiel!
The Occasional BLogger
(name supplied!)