Passionate environmentalist, Matt Barwick, is off to Melbourne to attend a summit hosted by Al Gore.

John McCutcheon

CONSERVATIONIST Matt Barwick says meeting one of the world's leading activists next weekend, even at his own expense, will be anything but “inconvenient”.

But there was a moment when the 32-year-old doubted the “truth” of the email he received revealing the news.

“I got a bit of the shakes I suppose ... Al Gore's is so significant because he has inspired so many people,” the Caloundra environmental consultant said.

Mr Barwick is one of 250 Australians handpicked by the Australian Conservation Foundation, out of 2000 applicants, to attend “The Climate Project”, the Australia Asia Pacific Summit in Melbourne from July 11-13.

It will be hosted by the former US vice-president, who starred in the Academy Award-nominated movie An Inconvenient Truth.

The documentary became one of the world's biggest opinion shapers on climate change.

Mr Gore in turn, while not succeeding in his presidential campaign, became a celebrity among Hollywood stars and across the world.

Climate change critics remain strong, but Mr Barwick says it is important that people question issues.

“People get really angry about the fact that there are people that say climate change isn't a problem,” he said.

“I understand why because it unravels some of the good work people have done to convince people that it is fact, which it is.

“But people should continue to ask questions and rationalise things in their own head rather than just accepting it.

“It's a really useful thing.”