The global climate change summit in Copenhagen begins on Sunday. In advance of the meeting, one of the world’s top climate scientists is claiming he hopes the talks result in failure. In an interview with The Guardian, NASA climatologist James Hansen said any agreement to come out of the talks will be inadequate in averting climate catastrophe. Hansen says negotiations should instead be started from scratch. Hansen has called for more substantial emissions cuts than those on the table, as well as a carbon tax on major polluters. Earlier this week, Hansen addressed demonstrators at a climate action in New York.

James Hansen: “As long as fossil fuels are the cheapest energy, they’re going to continue to be used and their use will increase. So we have to put a price on carbon. And the money that is collected from this price must be returned to the public 100 percent, either as a monthly dividend or a payroll tax deduction or a combination of those. If we do those things, the problem becomes solvable. If we don’t, it is the biggest inter-generational injustice in the history of the world. We’ll be leaving our children and grandchildren with a situation out of their control. So we’ve got to begin to influence the polices that are being talked about. And what is being talked about in Washington now and in Copenhagen now is totally inadequate. It’s greenwash. It’s cap and trade with offsets, which will be just like the Kyoto Protocol. It will do nothing to reduce global emissions.”