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
This little seabird lives in tall trees that Washington state may cut down
Marbled murrelets have one of the more bizarre daily routines in the avian world.
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Environment
Washington tribes oppose Canadian pipeline and more oil tankers in Salish Sea
“One of the many reasons our southern resident killer whales are about ready to go extinct.”
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Environment
More sea lions found dead with shotgun wounds in Seattle area
Seals and sea lions caught twice as much chinook salmon as orcas did in 2015 — and about six times more than humans did.
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Environment
Our super-bacteria spreading to Puget Sound otters, orcas
Bacteria that resist antibiotic drugs are becoming more widespread in our environment. Last year, researchers reported finding 35 kinds of multi-drug-resistant bacteria in the exhaled breaths of killer whales off the San Juan Islands.
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Environment
Federal climate report predicts huge economic toll on Pacific Northwest
Kim Malcolm talks with KUOW's environment reporter John Ryan about the economic toll of climate change in the Pacific Northwest.
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Environment
Otter dances. Otter poops. Researchers dig in
Scientists study river otters, a small but mighty top predator, hoping to know how to clean up a very dirty river.
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Environment
Task force urges help for salmon, ban on watching endangered orcas
Governor Jay Inslee’s task force on orcas says boosting the whales' salmon diet and giving them quiet, clean waters can save the southern resident killer whales from extinction.
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Environment
Why famished orcas may have to wait 90 years for more salmon
That’s what environmental activists found as they began to restore the tiny Rhone-Poulenc salt marsh deep in the industrial bowels of Tacoma.
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Environment
Stop fishing salmon, orca lovers say. You’re missing the point, Skagit tribe says
At meeting after public meeting over the past six months, orca lovers and orca experts have urged bold action: Everything from removing dams to restricting or banning activities that can harm the whales.
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Environment
Carbon tax initiative in Washington state is failing