John Ryan
Environment Reporter
About
John Ryan joined KUOW as its first full-time investigative reporter in 2009 and became its environment reporter in 2018. He focuses on climate change, energy, and the ecosystems of the Puget Sound region. He has also investigated toxic air pollution, landslides, failed cleanups, and money in politics for KUOW.
Over a quarter century as an environmental journalist, John has covered everything from Arctic drilling to Indonesian reef bombing. He has been a reporter at NPR stations in southeast and southwest Alaska (KTOO-Juneau and KUCB-Unalaska) and at the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
John’s stories have won multiple national awards for KUOW, including the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi awards for Public Service in Radio Journalism and for Investigative Reporting, national Edward R. Murrow and PMJA/PRNDI awards for coverage of breaking news, and Society of Environmental Journalists awards for in-depth reporting.
John welcomes tips, documents, and feedback. Reach him at jryan@kuow.org or for secure, encrypted communication, he's at heyjohnryan@protonmail.com or 1-401-405-1206 on the Signal messaging app.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, some Spanish, some Indonesian
Professional Affiliations: SAG-AFTRA union member and former shop steward; Society of Environmental Journalists member and mentor
Stories
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Environment
Can Seattle take the heat? Officials say area is better prepared this summer
It takes about 10 days for a person to adjust to heat. It could take years to make the region thoroughly heatproof.
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Environment
Port of Tacoma investigates new weapon to counter alien invasions
That weapon is trees.
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Environment
Signs of recovery after world’s worst underwater pandemic
Ochre star populations along parts of the West Coast are bouncing back from the Pisaster disaster.
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Environment
Another three bite the dust: Heat melts Mount Rainier glaciers
A warming climate has claimed three glaciers on Mount Rainier, home to more ice than any American mountain south of Alaska.
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Environment
3 more glaciers gone from Mount Rainier
Glaciologist Mauri Pelto looked at satellite imagery from last fall and says that he found that two other glaciers had dwindled down to ice patches, too small to be considered glaciers anymore.
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Environment
Seattle aims for cleaner buildings over next 25 years
Seattle’s biggest buildings would have to reduce their impact on the climate starting eight years from now under a proposal announced Thursday by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
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Government
Harrell proposes ‘building performance standards’ to address Seattle pollution
Seattle’s biggest buildings would have to reduce their impact on the climate starting eight years from now.
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Environment
The price of polluting has gone up in Washington state
The latest auction raised about $557 million for programs to prevent or adapt to climate change.
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Environment
Year's lowest tides coming to Puget Sound
The lowest tides of the year are coming to Puget Sound starting this weekend.
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Health
Researchers tackle asthma hotspot: Seattle’s Duwamish Valley
People in the 98108 ZIP code are nearly four times more likely to end up in the hospital with asthma than King County residents overall. Duwamish Valley has twice the poverty rate of Seattle and is mostly people of color.