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
Seattle aims for cleaner buildings over next 25 years
Seattle’s biggest buildings would have to reduce their impact on the climate starting eight years from now under a proposal announced Thursday by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
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Government
Harrell proposes ‘building performance standards’ to address Seattle pollution
Seattle’s biggest buildings would have to reduce their impact on the climate starting eight years from now.
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Environment
The price of polluting has gone up in Washington state
The latest auction raised about $557 million for programs to prevent or adapt to climate change.
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Environment
Year's lowest tides coming to Puget Sound
The lowest tides of the year are coming to Puget Sound starting this weekend.
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Health
Researchers tackle asthma hotspot: Seattle’s Duwamish Valley
People in the 98108 ZIP code are nearly four times more likely to end up in the hospital with asthma than King County residents overall. Duwamish Valley has twice the poverty rate of Seattle and is mostly people of color.
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Environment
Who likes a hotter climate? Northwest mosquitoes
A warming climate has meant better conditions for mosquitoes in much of the Northwest.
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Environment
Students chain selves to smokestack to light climate fire under UW
“We're chained to the power plant right now."
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Environment
Spring heatwave prompts emergency shellfish-safety rule
Following a four-day wave of record-breaking springtime heat, health officials banned commercial shellfish harvesting anywhere local water temperatures exceed 70 degrees.
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Environment
Seattle sees 4 days in a row of record springtime heat
Seattle, Bellingham, and Olympia all broke temperature records on Monday. For Seattle and Olympia, it was the fourth record-breaking day in a row.
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Environment
Northwest's spring heatwave continues