In this book Mark Everard argues that governments and citizens too often take the air we breathe for granted. Air and the wider atmosphere are vital in protecting us from radiation, maintaining climate and weather patterns, dispersing water, seeds and pollen, and serving as an alternative source of energy.

Breathing Space overturns conventional thinking on the atmosphere, and is the first book to properly integrate air into the wider environmental discourse. Outlining the structure and development of the atmosphere, Everard assesses its importance within the environment as a whole.

Everard’s work represents the long overdue incorporation of air into our wider understanding of ecosystems, and argues persuasively for the need for governments to recognise the importance of air as a resource. A must read for scholars, students and activists.

• Introduction
• 1. Air and the making of the atmosphere
• 2. Living in a bubble
• 3. What does air do for us?
• 4. Abuses of the air
• 5. Managing our impacts on air
• 6. Thinking in a connected way
• 7. Rediscovering our place in the breathing space
• 8. Resolution for integrated management of the air space
• Annex : Ecosystem services and the Ecosystem Approach