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
Deaths of 75 West Coast gray whales declared 'unusual mortality event'
Scientists have recorded 75 gray whales washing up dead from California to Alaska this year, with 25 of those in Washington state.
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Environment
Outlook: above-normal temps, below-normal precipitation.
Washington state’s snowpack is down to less than a third its normal levels for this time of year. The early meltdown leaves the state's main storehouse of water for the summer a shadow of its usual self.
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Environment
'One-day shipping won’t matter if our homes are under water,' Amazon workers tell Jeff Bezos
Amazon employees held placards, gave speeches and confronted their boss at the company’s annual meeting .
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Health
Fungus detected at Seattle Children's, prompting operating room closures
A potentially harmful fungus has been detected at Seattle Children’s Hospital, prompting officials to shut down affected operating rooms.
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Environment
Drought emergency declared over nearly half of Washington
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a drought emergency across nearly half the state.
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Environment
About face: Inslee now opposes two mega fossil-fuel projects in Washington state
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee did an about-face Wednesday on two major fossil-fuel projects that he had previously supported.
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Flurry of new laws a big, rare victory for climate-hawk governor
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed five pieces of climate legislation into law Tuesday in Seattle—a rare political success for a “climate hawk” governor and presidential candidate who has struggled to curtail greenhouse gas emissions in his state.
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Environment
Gov. Inslee signs flurry of anti-warming bills
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to sign five pieces of climate legislation into law today in Seattle's Rainier Valley. Inslee has long pushed for action on climate change, but he's been unable to make a dent in the state's carbon pollution. KUOW's John Ryan reports.
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Environment
State skimps on road fixes for salmon despite federal court order
Washington state is under a federal court order to fix hundreds of stream crossings beneath state roads over the next decade. But it’s not coughing up the money to do that.
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Business
After deadly crane collapse, state investigation begins
Kim Malcolm talks with KUOW reporter John Ryan about the investigation into Saturday's crane collapse that killed four people in Seattle.