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
This Ivy League wages hand-to-leaf combat against an English strangler
No hallowed halls in this ivy league: just hard, dirty labor against an ‘evil’ foe.
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Environment
KUOW's League of Murder Creatures
Move over, "murder hornets." Lots of invasive species go on biological killing sprees.
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Environment
'Yogurt for bats': A new way to fight a deadly pandemic
Washington scientists hope a strange new concoction can save these creatures of the night from their mortal enemy. They call it “yogurt for bats.”
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Environment
Where leaded gas still flies in the United States
The United States banned leaded paint and leaded gasoline decades ago, but many floatplanes and other small aircraft still run on leaded fuel. Federal officials have taken a major step toward changing that.
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Environment
Seattle's carbon pollution drops with Covid. A rebound is expected
Seattle’s climate pollution dropped 22% in 2020.
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Government
Struggling customers' water, power would stay on during heat waves under new proposal
That's when a fan or air conditioner can be the difference between life and death.
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Environment
Samish elders celebrate Cayou Channel
State officials have renamed the passage between Orcas and Shaw islands "Cayou Channel" after the early 20th century Samish leader, Henry Cayou.
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Environment
On a low tide, two stories collide: Reporter's Notebook
It’s funny how stories collide sometimes.
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Environment
Fishing boat lifted out of orca waters after 5 weeks on sea floor
A salvage team successfully lifted the Aleutian Isle onto a barge Wednesday afternoon, more than five weeks after the fishing boat sank into the depths off San Juan Island.
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Environment
Coast Guard postpones effort to remove sunken fishing boat after lifting it to surface
Salvage crews have been unable to remove enough fuel and seawater from the Aleutian Isle to lift it onto a barge and transport it away from the critical orca habitat where it sank five weeks ago.
