Constipagen

An irreverent term for the interminable negotiations – and queues – at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

As Alex Morales and Jeremy van Loo recently reported for Bloomberg News:

“We’re calling it Constipagen because the line’s not moving and the talks are not moving,” said Jasmine Hyman, who works for Gold Standard Foundation of Geneva that certifies carbon offsets.

The term is a far cry from the optimism of “Hopenhagen”:

The angst in conference rooms has been reflected on the streets, with protesters fighting riot police as Denmark mounted the biggest security operation in its history. More than half of Denmark’s 10,500 police are providing security for the talks at Copenhagen’s Bella Center, which can hold 15,000 people.

The difficulty for the police is 46,000 people have tried to get into the talks in the city dubbed “Hopenhagen,” leaving thousands waiting outside in freezing temperatures and yelling at security.