Economy – Leo's C Blog

The Energy Sovereignty Dilemma

Sometimes I notice a “big oil” barrage on social media, often led by figures like Trump, suggesting that all the world’s problems can be solved just by producing more oil. But “oil” is really just a placeholder for energy; that is the real name of the game. It’s about ensuring you have enough when you need it. Currently, the world is facing a deficit, and history shows this won’t be the last time.

The Nuclear and Fusion Reality

Some believe building more nuclear fission reactors is the answer. While possible, the lead times are massive, and the safety concerns, especially as potential targets during conflict are significant.

The real “game-changer” is commercial fusion, which is finally turning the corner. We are seeing a massive shift from lab science to industry:

Helion Energy is already constructing a plant in Washington to provide fusion power to Microsoft’s data centers by 2028.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on track to demonstrate net energy gain with its SPARC reactor by 2027.
Even the UK Government just launched a 2026 Fusion Strategy, backing the sector with £2.5 billion to lead this “new energy revolution.”

Once fusion is scaled, the energy crisis as we know it will cease to exist—but it will require us to fully commit to an electric society.

Controlling Our Own Destiny: The Solar Mandate

We often fail to think about the future because we assume a “drill, baby, drill” approach allows us to relax. But imagine how different life would be if every government had one coherent policy: every building being built or having its roof repaired must be converted to solar.

We are finally seeing the first steps toward this:

In England, the new “Future Homes Standard” (finalized March 2026) will soon make solar panels and heat pumps the default for nearly all new builds.
The Isle of Man is pushing for 30MW of local renewable generation by the end of this year to gain “full control” over its own energy supplies and stop relying on volatile imported fossil fuels.

If we utilized the daytime sun on every rooftop to power our lives, we wouldn’t be at the whim of global energy crises. We would finally control our own destiny.

Waste Management: A Strategic Imperative in Patrick

I’ve been reviewing the numbers—particularly the waste-related expenditure, which didn’t sit right. Based on unaudited accounts and last year’s ledger, waste costs actually represent 67.01% of our total expenditure. That’s a striking figure.

We did incur some open costs last year, which may have skewed the accounts slightly. But the core issue remains: nearly two-thirds of our spending is going toward waste management.

If we’re serious about running an efficient enterprise, we need to dedicate a similar proportion of our time and strategic focus to defining what waste management means for Patrick—and how we can be a happy, effective provider of that service.

There’s also talk of taking out loans to cover unexpected contingency costs. Before moving forward, we need to ask: are we comfortable saddling future generations with debt due to poor management decisions today?

Here’s a breakdown of the figures:

Refuse collection: £79,842
WCAS: £40,685
Total waste cost: £120,527
Total expenditure: £179,842
Waste cost as % of total: 67.01%

We also know they’re running 10% over budget. Given their reluctance to share monthly figures, it’s reasonable to discount that by 20% for planning purposes.

And let’s not forget: the increased refuse collection will take time to show in the system. In my view, it’s almost certainly going to be higher—especially with the site not fully operational.

Thanks for your attention to this. I hope it helps inform the next steps.

—Leo

Bring new meaning and change to culture.

There’s so much to comment on when it comes to retail. The most important question is: why is it declining? Without getting too philosophical—since “less” could be seen as reduced consumption, which might be a good thing—another reason is that in the UK, people seem to care less. The experience has become meaningless and impersonal.

Not so in Japan. Shop after shop where people are passionate about what they sell. No massive chains—just intimate, curated experiences. How long will it take for us to catch up?