RII Track-2 FEC: Sustainable socio-economic, ecological, and technological scenarios for achieving global climate stabilization through negative CO2 emission policies

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Non-technical descriptionThis Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaboration (RII Track-2 FEC) award is a collaboration among three institutions in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota including Montana State University (MSU), University of Wyoming (UW) and University of South Dakota (USD). The project will focus on developing a framework of CO2 mitigation scenarios that would not create conflicts with food security and production of clean energy. The project will offer novel experimental insights, modeling tools, and technological solutions for improving the resiliency of food security and ecosystem services to global climate policies. The modeling activities and extensive field research is expected to generate new data and findings that will lead to new insights into how biogeochemical modeling, agricultural economics, carbon-capture and sequestration, water and biodiversity research can be used within an integrated framework. The project will leverage existing networks and hubs to integrate new data-streams into the modeling exercises. Through involvement with Tribal Colleges and networking with existing programs with Native American student populations, the project will serve to enhance and diversify the STEM workforce in the participating jurisdictions.Technical descriptionThe proposed project will evaluate the consequences of a bioenergy, and carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) economy in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB). In seeking to evaluate how negative CO2 emissions, and the security and economic costs associated with changes to energy policy, the project will address four research objectives: (1) Develop empirical and numerical models to explain recent trends in land use and land-cover change; (2) Apply biogeochemical ecosystem and crop models to evaluate a set of stakeholder-designed regions and scenarios for bioenergy production potential, and use new and existing data and observations to quantify trade-offs between biofuel expansion and food security and other carbon, soil and bioclimate variables; (3) Evaluate the feasibility of BECCS within the context of carbon capture and storage, existing political and institutional constraints, and policy frameworks affecting farmers and Tribal Nations; and (4) Produce a synthesis report addressing the economic feasibility of BECCS and provide the basis for knowledge transfer to collaborators at national and international organizations. The collaborations with several government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, in addition to a scientific advisory panel, provide high potential that the project and its findings will transfer to national and international stages.