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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Pandemic cabin fever + boat sales = harassed orcas
Off the west side of San Juan Island, Deborah Giles grabbed her boat’s bright yellow research flag and started waving it at a small boat chopping through the waves.
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Seattle’s Waterfront Park closes permanently after inching out to sea
Another bit of Seattle infrastructure is tearing apart and has closed for good.
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Ping! Orcas threatened by sonar plan, Inslee and enviros tell Navy
Battleships and orcas both use sound to hunt, which makes Navy sonar a problem for the sleek black-and-white predators.
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Searching for climate and inequity hot spots, by car
Fifteen cars with blue snorkels jutting up from their passenger windows drove all around King County on Monday.
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Snohomish County not flattening the curve. 'The trend is up, up, up'
‘It's kind of a game of Russian Roulette of who will get deathly ill when they contract Covid-19.’
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Inslee puts Chehalis dam on hold, calls for non-dam fixes for river's woes
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has put a proposed dam on the Chehalis River on hold.
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Can’t pay the rent? Long-awaited help is in the works
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s moratorium on evictions and rent increases until Oct. 15 and promised $100 million in aid for renters as the Covid-19 pandemic shows little sign of loosening its grip.
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Mayor declares civil emergency over failing West Seattle Bridge
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has declared a civil emergency in connection with the damage and “potential failure” of the West Seattle Bridge.
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Another West Seattle bridge in trouble
Now there’s a second West Seattle Bridge with serious cracks in it.
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MOD Pizza, Burgerville, other chains grab slices of aid meant for small business
“If they have 8,000 employees, how do they qualify for ‘small business?’”