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
Congress moves to mandate leaded fuel sales
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to require airports to keep selling leaded aviation fuel. The small-plane fuel is the biggest source of airborne lead pollution in Washington and nationwide.
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Environment
Road trip! Kicking the tires on electric travel in the Northwest
It's a long drive from Seattle, and I'm nervous about recharging once I've left the big city for mountains and sagebrush, but let’s go!
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Environment
Inner tubes are out with ban to save Nooksack River salmon
The Whatcom County Council has banned inner-tubing on the South Fork Nooksack River to protect endangered Chinook salmon there.
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Environment
Endangered salmon in Whatcom Co. could have fewer disturbances this summer
The county council has banned inner-tubing on the South Fork Nooksack River to protect Chinook salmon there.
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Environment
Puget Sound's biggest bat colony could be big loser of dam-removal project
What may be the largest colony of bats in Western Washington, already threatened by a deadly fungus, faces a new threat — the proposed removal of a 70-year old dam that created Capitol Lake in Olympia.
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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.