Agence France-Presse: High-profile climate change campaigner Al Gore on Monday backed Australia’s environmental policies and said this year’s devastating brushfires were a savage reminder of the need to act. The former US presidential candidate, in Melbourne to launch the Safe Climate Australia think-tank, said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had shown the environment was a top priority. "In my country we have a new president and in only 30 days after taking office (he) was able to pass in the US Congress …