conservative environmental wackos?

I heard that Deirdre Imus, conservative radio talk show host Don Imus's wife, had been on The View, a chatty tv talk show, touting a chemical-free environment for children because, get this, chemicals cause cancer.

While checking this out, the first thing I learned is that she's selling a cookbook, but then I came across this article from a year ago about New York Governor Pataki banning toxic cleaning products in state agencies and authorities and citing Ms. Imus' statements as the reason. The article goes on to describe Ms. Imus as "a radical environmental activist with no scientific credentials" and also points out that she stands to profit if the State of New York buys non-toxic cleaning products from her through the Deidre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology.

So I have mixed feelings about this. I'm all happy that some buildings in New York are less toxic. I am also pleased that a notoriously not-too-scientifically-discerning talk show audience was exposed to the idea that lots of chemicals are bad. I mean, I think they're bad. I'm really quite confident that they're bad.

My problem is that, as a physicist, Ms. Imus sounds less than convincing. The studies done at her center find the results they expect, which makes me itch, even if they're right, which based on my current sensitivities, doesn't seem at all unreasonable.

The best part of that article is the part where Mr. Imus attacks somebody for calling his wife's work junk science. Mr. Conservative sided with 'a radical environmental activist,' and I thought that only happened when good places to hunt were threatened.