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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'It's a terror campaign.' Federal workers in Seattle area describe snitching, secrecy under Trump
Federal workers in Seattle and across Washington state say they feel whiplash since Trump took office and issued a flurry of executive orders geared at cutting the federal government to “eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.” KUOW spoke with 15 employees across seven agencies, most of whom agreed to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of getting fired.
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A different kind of winter fun: tidepooling at night on Puget Sound
On a drizzly February night, dozens of people walked with headlamps and flashlights at water’s edge near the Edmonds, Washington, fishing pier. They weren’t there to catch fish or squid: They came to see the wonders that come out when the tide goes out.
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NOAA firings in Seattle include orca-saving employee of the year
Until Thursday afternoon, Hanna Miller focused on protecting whales from oil spills, ship strikes, and fishing gear. While on vacation in Hawaii, the federal biologist opened her work email on her personal phone to find she no longer had a job.
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More cuts coming to US oceans agency and its Olympic Coast sanctuary
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is planning to jettison 10 buildings it leases in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington as the agency prepares to eliminate another 1,029 employees nationwide.
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Snow or no? Northwest’s water outlook gets murky with federal cuts
Agencies that keep tabs on Northwest rivers and snowpack have been shedding scientists under the Trump administration.
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Washington state eyes disaster declaration to reopen Olympic Park’s Hoh Rainforest
In December, the Hoh River took out Jefferson County’s Upper Hoh Road, the only vehicular access to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, campground, picnic area, and trailheads. The county’s efforts to get federal aid for emergency repairs have failed, for lack of a disaster declaration.
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The case of the missing hooligans: a Cowlitz River mystery
Thousands of northwesterners were disappointed when they failed to meet up with some hooligans in March. These hooligans don’t make much trouble, except when they fail to show up.
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More cuts coming to the National Weather Service
At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, a six-foot-wide balloon filled with hydrogen lifted off at the tiny Quillayute Airport, between soggy Forks, Washington, and the western edge of the Olympic Peninsula.
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Electric vehicle sales stall in Washington state
Electric-vehicle sales in Washington state are stuck in neutral and might even be going in reverse, according to data from the Washington Department of Licensing.
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Tens of thousands rally against Trump, Musk in Washington state ‘Hands Off’ protests
Throngs of demonstrators gathered Saturday in dozens of cities across Washington state, and around the country, to protest the actions of President Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk.
