His speech was widely seen as the beginning of a Government campaign to levy “green” taxes.

However, the Tele found a striking consensus. The people we spoke to have sent a message to Tony Blair — stop appeasing America, stop appeasing big business and stop punishing ordinary people for a greener planet.

David Macaskill, from Ardler, Dundee, hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that America had refused to sign up to the international Kyoto accord on climate change.

He said, “It’s all well and good asking ordinary people to change, but it’s not us that are to blame — it’s the massive multi-national companies and governments.

Mr Macaskill went on, “America refused to sign that international agreement which shows they aren’t particularly interested. Britain just takes a back seat when it comes to America when we should be standing up and speaking for ourselves.

“I think this new report is a good thing because I hear its author [Sir Nicholas Stern] is well respected, so hopefully people will start listening.

“I do try to do my bit. I don’t use aerosols, for example, and I’ll get the bus to town rather than driving.

“I also have different bins in the house for different kinds of rubbish.”

Mum-of-two Alison Harry, who lives in Lochee, says the automobile and airline industries have a lot to answer for and thinks higher taxes on transport fuel would send a powerful message.

“I come from a family of non-drivers so a hike on road tax and more taxes on petrol wouldn’t affect me,” said Alison.

“The airline industry should also carry some of the burden because they’re pushing all these cheap flights. A higher airline tax might hit the man in the street but everyone has to play their part.

“The last time I was on a foreign holiday was Australia in 1999. You really become aware of global warming out there because the hole in the ozone layer is right above them.”

Alison reckons ordinary people are already being hit hard enough with the price of energy and there’s only so much people can do to make a difference.

“I’m always going round making sure plugs and switches are off,” she adds. “I think it’s partly to do with caring for the environment but a big part of it is the cost of electricity.

“I don’t think environmental taxes are necessarily the answer. You need to think of old people who are already having trouble heating their homes and are dying of hypothermia.”

Menzieshill resident Wilma Tolman knows all about the effects the cost of energy can have on the lives of older people, and thinks a green tax on gas and electricity on top of the already high price of fuel would be too much to handle.

“I just can’t afford it,” said Wilma. “I’d like to be able to do more but I’m just at the wrong age where I can make a difference and at this stage I don’t have any money to spare for the environment.”

Wilma is playing her part in one of the simplest fashions possible — the reusable carrier bag. Emblazoned on the front of her two reusable shopping bags she had was the legend ‘I Care About the Planet’.

“They’re better as I find disposable bags tend to take over your house after a while. I keep finding them in cupboards.

“These reusable ones are good because when you get a hole they exchange the bag for free. They cost a bit more to start with but you get the benefit in the end.”

In a very small way, Wilma has hit upon the whole ethos behind the cross-party consensus on climate change.

All Britain’s political parties agree that by spending more money now they will see the benefits, perhaps not tomorrow but 50 years in the future.

However, the Government faces a huge problem convincing today’s generation who are already being burdened by the environmental mistakes of the past, but are being asked to fork out to make sure our problems aren’t passed on in the future.

“If the Government wants to raise taxes on the basis that it will help the environment I think I would be sceptical,” said Dundee resident Steven Curr. “I would like to see some results so I know it’s going to the right places.

“It’s like the road tax. The largest proportion of your road tax is supposed to go on maintaining the roads and they’re still a disgrace.

“I wouldn’t like to pay out all this money for the environment to find out that it hasn’t made any difference.

“I think there should be a lot more done about the 4x4 school run. How many women do you see in their massive cars at 8.30 in the morning with just one wee kiddie in the back? There’s no need for it.”

Steven’s brother Chris agrees with the general consensus that the small changes we make in life are small-beer compared to the wasteful practices of international governments.

He said, “Sometimes pollution is unavoidable. It depends where you work. In some jobs you need to have a car to get around. I drive a diesel and you get a better fuel efficiency with that, and I also try my best to recycle at work.

“However, I think Britain is far too soft on America as they’re the biggest polluter of them all. I don’t know what we can do to bring them into line.”

If the elderly are already too stretched to contribute any more and Britain’s working population is already doing what they can, what about the next generation?

The Tele spoke to a group of Dundee College students who said they are worried they are going to have to bear the burden of green taxes at a time when student debt is at its highest ever and house prices are already beyond the reach of even the most successful graduates.

Ryan Dunn, who hails from St Andrew’s, said, “I would be annoyed at having to pay green taxes, but I do think we have to make a start on the climate change issue because the longer we take to act the harder it will be to fix.

“I don’t think the answer lies in taxing the people though. You need to focus on the big industries that use up the vast amount of the energy in the country.”

Fellow student Kevin Costello, from Dryburgh, thinks modern technology is both the cause and the solution to the problem.

“The more technology people have in their homes the more energy they will use,” said Kevin. “So I think money should be invested to find ways of making our household technology more efficient.”

Classmates Adrian Gilruth, from Fintry, and Colin Petro, of Stobswell, both agree that technology may provide an answer.

“The Government annoys me,” said Adrian. “They’re more than capable of rolling out environmentally-friendly electric cars, but they’re so wrapped up in the oil industry that they don’t want to.”

Colin said, “I think there should be more wind turbines like the ones we have in Dundee.

“I know there are a lot of planning objections to where they are placed but I think people will listen if you just present them with the evidence of the change they can make.”

“I quite like the turbines,” adds Ryan. “I think they look cool — very futuristic!”