When Al Gore was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his attempts to raise awareness of climate change, he described it as a spur to do even more to get the message out. Strange then that all media were barred from hearing him speak at a conference in Dublin at the weekend.
Although reporters covering the "Energy and the Environment" conference could sit in on speeches by Green Party minister Eamon Ryan, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh and ESB chairman Tadhg O'Donoghue, when the time came for Gore's headlining act, all media bar the official photographers had to leave.
The audience, made up of 400 investors and corporate executives, were there at the invitation of corporate finance company Merrion Landsbanki so no tickets were sold for the event.
Organisers arranged Gore's visit through the New York-based Harry Walker Agency, which has exclusive rights to arrange the former US vice-president's speaking engagements. According to the agency's website, Gore is available to lecture on four set topics. The speech he gave in Dublin is described as encouraging business audiences to "consider broader issues - environmental, social and political - when planning economic strategy".
Gore's usual speaking fee is understood to be in the region of $100,000.
The agency insisted on a number of conditions, including that the event be closed to reporters. Even the official photographers were only allowed in the lecture hall for the first five minutes of Gore's presentation.
It is common practice for Gore to ban journalists from his lectures in the US. Why the environmental campaigner plays coy with the media remains a mystery.
According to one attendee at Saturday's conference, Gore drew laughter when he introduced himself saying: "I am Al Gore and I used to be the next president of the United States of America." Gore, who had a private meeting with Bono before he addressed those gathered at the Royal College of Surgeons, went on to describe himself as a "recovering politician".