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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Why famished orcas may have to wait 90 years for more salmon
That’s what environmental activists found as they began to restore the tiny Rhone-Poulenc salt marsh deep in the industrial bowels of Tacoma.
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Stop fishing salmon, orca lovers say. You’re missing the point, Skagit tribe says
At meeting after public meeting over the past six months, orca lovers and orca experts have urged bold action: Everything from removing dams to restricting or banning activities that can harm the whales.
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Carbon tax initiative in Washington state is failing
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It’s a gusher! Record sums of oil money flood carbon-fee fight
A gusher of out-of-state cash from oil companies BP, Phillips 66, Andeavor, Valero and Chevron has made the campaign against the carbon fee initiative the costliest “no” campaign in state history.
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Inslee: 'We have a commander in chief who's AWOL right now'
"I swear this administration has a department of cockeyed ideas, and this is just another one of them," Inslee said in an interview with KUOW.
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Big soda really, really wants to stop govs from taxing bevs
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Debate: Should you vote for a carbon fee?
This year, voters will decide whether or not to instate a first-in-the-nation fee on carbon emissions in the state. We invited groups for and against the ballot measure to talk about why they support and oppose I-1631.
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Tax polluters says the UN — but much more than WA carbon fee
“The next few years are probably the most important in human history.”
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EPA head touts Duwamish cleanup project
Other Trump EPA actions are expected to be less beneficial for Washington waters.
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Uh oh, coho! Something's killing suburban salmon. Car tires a prime suspect
New study points at chemicals from tiny bits of car tires as a prime suspect in the untimely deaths of salmon in Seattle-area creeks