BDN interviews Knight about carbon-neutral beef

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

February 19, 2020 Cooperative Extension, Outreach, UMaine in the News

The Bangor Daily News interviewed Colt Knight, a livestock specialist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for the article, “The debate over how to raise beef without killing the planet.” There is a growing movement of “carbon-neutral” or “carbon-negative” beef producers who aim to take advantage of the natural interplay between large grazing animals and their pastures, the article states. “There is not a wealth of knowledge on this topic yet, but it’s something being explored,” said Knight. “Scientific data on this seems to indicate that we very well might be able to [produce carbon-neutral beef], depending on what type of grass they’re grazed on, where they’re grazed [and] soil types.” But more research will need to be done to avoid haphazard changes that could disrupt the industry, according to Knight. “Some people just think sustainability [means] all-natural or doing things the old way,” he said. “The reason we quit doing things the old way is because we got more efficient. We can definitely make improvements, and we’re doing that, and we have been doing that for the last 100 years.”