A top environmental advisor to President Bush who has come under fire from liberals defended Administration policy at a speech in the Science Center last night.

Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality James Connaughton presented an optimistic picture of the world’s environmental condition and said successes have been distorted and misunderstood by the public.

Connaughton said that two prevailing views, that we “will end by destroying the earth” and that “everything will keep getting better” are false.

“These two beliefs show a fictional dichotomy in opinion and public discourse” said Connaughton. “The reality is far different. In fact, it is a balance between the two.”

Connaughton went on to speak about the 1969 National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), which he said continues to provide the basis for policy making.

“There has been an enormous foundation of practices, tools and work that has grown up in the 30 years since NEPA,” Connaughton said.

“It has been truly revolutionary,” he said.

Connaughton said the success of NEPA, coupled with a fresh and realistic perspective on the environment prove that there is hope where many believe none to exist.

“There are a finite number of environmental issues that we have to tackle,” said Connaughton.

“We need only to focus on identifying the problems, tackling them and then solving them,” he said.

But Connaughton said that good environmental policy must allow for progress as well.

“In order to attain our goals, we need to be practical, we need a strong and growing economy,” Connaughton said.

“Progress costs money. We can only do it through growth,” he said.

Connaughton emphasized the need for cooperation between the public and private spheres.

“Advancement in technology needs investment,” said Connaughton. “This has to be a collective private and public commitment.”