Rick Reibstein

Rick Reibstein is a Senior Lecturer at Boston University’s Department of Earth & Environment, teaching full-time after decades working with environmental agencies and part-time teaching. He focuses on environmental governance, pollution prevention, and regulatory policy. His JD is from Brooklyn Law School (1981). He created courses like EE 521 (Law for Sustainability) and EE 552 (Reconstructing Environmental Governance). His research emphasizes rebuilding environmental governance through civic engagement and consensus-building, informed by his experience at the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act program (1989–2015).

He organizes student-led initiatives addressing lead poisoning, aviation fuel transition, and reducing gas-powered equipment. His articles advocate for pollution prevention’s economic and environmental benefits, critiquing regulatory rollbacks and promoting positive freedom’s role in effective governance. Notable works include Handbook of Energy and Environmental Security (2022) and analyses of toxics reduction policies (2002–2017). He maintains websites like BU RCCP and Lead Conversation for collaborative projects.

His teaching and writing highlight the need for robust government action, emphasizing that regulations can yield significant returns. He critiques industry opposition to toxics policies and advocates for regulatory improvement over deregulation. Despite no formal awards listed, his contributions to environmental policy education and practice are substantial.