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
Rising Northwest waters bring tough choice: fight or flight
The climate’s already changing. People north of Seattle have been facing the muddy consequences head-on.
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Business
State blames deadly tower-crane collapse on 3 companies
State officials are blaming the deadly collapse of a tower crane in Seattle last spring on three construction companies' failure to follow safety rules. Those companies have been fined a total of $107,000, and the state is considering new rules for tower-crane safety.
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Business
Seattle construction causes two major gas leaks in a week
Seattle has had two major gas leaks in less than a week, both caused by construction workers digging in the wrong place.
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Gas leak in University District: Don't go out onto the Ave, officials say
A gas leak in Seattle’s University District has all but shut down the surrounding blocks.
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Environment
More than half of Washington bird species threatened by warming climate
Even species that are common today, like nuthatches, juncos and 20 species of ducks, could have few places left to turn.
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Environment
West Coast cities lauded for curbing carbon — except Seattle. Here’s why
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has joined mayors from around the world at a climate summit in Copenhagen.
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Environment
Seattle taxes oil heating, but postpones action on natural gas
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has signed a tax on heating oil into law. Money from the tax would go to help homeowners replace their oil heat with climate-friendly alternatives.
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Environment
Feds push for dirtier waters. Tribes say that threatens their health
Washington tribes say the Trump administration is violating their treaty rights and endangering their health. Those were some of the complaints at a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to allow more pollution in Washington waters — and Washington fish.
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Environment
Microsoft pledges climate action even as it helps Big Oil drill faster
Microsoft announced new efforts to reduce its impact on the climate on Monday, including making some of its Xbox gaming consoles carbon-neutral. But Microsoft’s announcement that it was partnering with Chevron and Schlumberger, the world’s largest oilfield services company, left activists and employees questioning how serious the tech giant is about tackling climate change.
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Technology
Wifi wires will run through water pipes in northern Washington town
Starting next month, people in Anacortes can get something unusual in their drinking water: The internet.