Smart Solutions for Sustainability: RDI for Urban and Societal Transitions Requires Cross-Sectoral Experimentation Platforms

International audienceA central takeaway from sustainability studies is that humanity must be understood as being a part of (not separate from) nature, lest we sink deeper in the current unsustainability crisis. Relying on real-life experience (in RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation), eco-innovation, urban transformation, and energy transition in Europe) and using insights from natural and human systems, this book chapter invites to disciplined experimentation, presents a practice-borne knowledge-action model to do so, and discusses two key criteria for success in generation options for sustainable cities and societies. The first one is the mobilization of the knowledge that is distributed across expert networks and areas of expertise: via Internet-based “brain networking” and as required in the management of complex transdisciplinary (i.e., issue-driven) RDI projects. The latter are very hard to manage (indeed, most fail) but are more cost-effective for long-term learning and advancement in the transition to sustainability (as compared to the habitual eternal “new beginnings” based on naive planning). The second one is versatility: the ability to constantly challenge legacies while also testing innovations. This is discussed here by using the technology readiness level (TRL) framework that factors in all unexpected/expected effects, from ecological footprints to social acceptance and economic viability, as operationalizable in scenarios and crowd/network intelligence-based decisions

Chemical, Biological and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Pesticides and Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Bahlui River, in Romania

Background, aim, and scope Current knowledge on environmental impacts of industrial activities in Romania, particularly persistent organic pollutants (POPs), indicates that environmental standards of the European Union are not systematically met. In our study area, additional sources of POPs are agriculture and domestic wastes. Very scarce information is available upon environmental contaminations and effects. In the present study, we investigated the chemical pollution and their eventual impact on the ecosystem by measuring POPs and by using biological indicators of pollution