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
Incoming Northwest heat wave 5x more likely due to climate change
Temperatures on Sunday and Monday could hit 90 degrees in Seattle, about 20 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.
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Crime
Homeless man charged with derailing Tacoma oil train
Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 65-year-old homeless man with derailing an oil train as it approached the Port of Tacoma.
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Environment
Northwest waters buck global heating trend (for now)
Temperatures in the world's oceans surged to new levels in April, nearing an average of 70 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time on record, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute.
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Environment
Seattle to get garbage hauler to take down misleading green ads
After complaints from climate activists, Seattle officials say they will get Waste Management to take down the misleading ads.
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Environment
Tacoma ship fire worse for climate than burning a million gallons of gasoline
A major fire at the Port of Tacoma has had global as well as local consequences.
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Environment
Rolling toward Washington state: support for e-bikes
E-bikes flatten hills and make it possible for people who aren’t strong bikers to go 20 miles or more without wearing themselves out – or trashing the planet.
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Environment
Northwest’s hottest summer in 1,000 years revealed by tree rings
The summer of 2021 was the Northwest’s hottest in at least 1,000 years, according to a new study of very old trees.
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Environment
Safety device, human error derailed Anacortes train, federal officials say
The Federal Railroad Administration has confirmed KUOW reporting that a safety device meant to keep trains from plunging into Puget Sound knocked a train off the tracks and onto the Swinomish Reservation early Thursday morning.
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Environment
Oil train derailed to avoid plunging into Puget Sound, tribal leader says
“It did what it was supposed to and spilled the train off the tracks so it wouldn't continue on into the Swinomish Slough, into the water, which wouldn't have been good at all.”
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Environment
Train derails near Anacortes, spills up to 3,100 gallons of diesel