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Bratman Quoted by Smithsonian Magazine on Smells Disappearing Due to Climate Change

Posted: 4/16/2026 (CSDE in the News)

Smithsonian Magazine quoted CSDE Affiliate Greg Bratman (Environmental and Forest Sciences) in a feature on how climate change, pollution, and extinction are altering the planet’s olfactory landscapes. Bratman noted that the invisible olfactory environments in which humans are embedded are often overlooked. The Smithsonian feature tapped into the theme of a 2025 Harvard Radcliffe Institute Working Group, co-organized by Bratman, Lucia Jacobs, and Asifa Majid. During this working group, thirteen experts from a variety of disciplines gathered to consider climate change’s impact on olfaction, from the environmental ramifications to how these may affect our mental and physical well-being. Bratman’s contribution to the Smithsonian article was also highlighted in UW Today.

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