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
Tribal leaders call Inslee 'a snake' after he vetoes climate law's tribal consent measure
Tribal leaders are saying Washington Gov. Jay Inslee used and betrayed them after he vetoed a provision requiring tribal consent for some environmental projects.
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Environment
Washington state bans polystyrene foam, clamps down on other plastics
The new law, signed Monday by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, restricts restaurants’ use of disposable plastic items, requires recycled content in some plastic bottles and bags, and bans most uses of polystyrene foam, including cups, clamshell containers, packing peanuts, and coolers.
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Environment
Gov. Inslee signs flurry of anti-pollution laws, but draws ire with vetoes
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a sweeping set of new environmental laws Monday. He also vetoed some of their key provisions, drawing criticism from both Democratic and Republican legislators.
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Environment
King County aims to slash carbon emissions in half by 2030, including aviation
The King County Council unanimously approved a new climate strategy Tuesday, aimed at cutting the county's climate-harming pollution in half in less than a decade.
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Environment
Cap-and-trade law tackles big polluters, fractures political alliances
A sweeping climate proposal from Gov. Jay Inslee has both fractured existing alliances and sparked new ones — among activists and oil refineries alike — on its way to becoming Washington state law.
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Environment
How Inslee’s climate agenda just got a boost
'I would call it a victory for climate advocates, with a big asterisk on it.’
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Environment
Climate advocates go to court to block Tacoma gas plant
Dueling lawyers made their opening arguments Monday in a case that could determine whether a major fossil-fuel plant opens on the Tacoma waterfront.
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Environment
Northwest ports pledge to stop air pollution (29 years from now)
The Northwest’s biggest ports promise to stop polluting the air — 29 years from now.
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Health
One-third of Covid cases are 'variants of concern' in Washington state
About one-third of recent Covid-19 cases (35.9%) in Washington state are "variants of concern."
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Environment
Heavier rainfall to cost Seattle area billions to avoid sewage spills
More-intense storms are expected to cost the Seattle area billions of dollars in coming decades -- without even counting the potential for more flooding or landslides.