The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies hosted a presentation Wednesday in recognition of Gaylord Nelson’s contributions to the well-being of the environment.

Nelson is a former Wisconsin governor and the official founder of Earth Day.

Michel Gelobter, founder of the carbon-offset firm Cooler Inc., a business that provides carbon-neutral goods and services to consumers and retailers, spoke to the Madison community about global warming.

Gelobter stressed how climate change is a justice issue and said there is an unequal allocation of energy resources in the world. He said the United States went to war for oil, a war that has led to significant injustices in the countries it affects.

According to Gelobter, the war in Iraq will end up costing $3 trillion by the time it is over. He said all of the money put toward the war effort could be allocated to the entire population of Wisconsin and Illinois and would allow each and every person to live an affluent lifestyle.

Gelobter said the nation must work together to put Exxon Mobile out of business.

“Somebody is going to have to kick Exxon’s ass,” he said. “Unshackle yourselves, throw off the chains and take a crowbar to the kneecaps of the dinosaur industries, just take them down.”

“The past 300 million years of history we have put up into the sky,” Gelobter said. He even quoted a line from Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi” and said, “We paved paradise to put up a parking lot.”

Cooler Inc.’s mission is to connect every purchase to a solution to global warming. Gelobter said it is currently more efficient to make a backpack in Vietnam rather than the United States because they use less carbon in the entire process.

“Green people are just feel-good people.”