John Ryan
Reporter
About
John Ryan joined KUOW as its first full-time investigative reporter in 2009 and took on the environment beat 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 a Society of Environmental Journalists award for in-depth reporting.
He is a shop steward for KUOW’s SAG-AFTRA newsroom union and believes democracy only works when journalism holds the powerful accountable for their words and actions.
John welcomes tips, documents and feedback from listeners. 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
Professional Affiliations: SAG-AFTRA shop steward
Stories
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Climate-friendly building code kicks in on Friday
A Thurston County judge’s decision means that a climate-friendly building code takes effect in Washington state on Friday. The state’s new code pushes builders to use electric heat pumps and discourages the burning of fossil fuels.
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Olympic National Park cabins demolished before they fall into Pacific Ocean
Construction crews started removing seven cabins from a crumbling bluff in the thin strip of Olympic National Park that hugs the Pacific Coast on Monday.
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Washington holds first carbon auction of 2024, with program's future in doubt
A ballot initiative aiming to stop Washington state from charging for carbon pollution is already reshaping the state’s carbon market.
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U.S. hydropower drops to 20-year low as Northwest snowpack shrinks
After a week of heavy storms that dumped 5 feet of snow in the Cascades and left skiers giddy, Washington state’s snowpack was still just 73% of normal.
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Seattle scientist, conservationist Estella Leopold dies at 97
Seattle scientist and conservationist Estella Leopold has died at the age of 97.
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Pollution is problematic for pollinators — and perhaps your produce
Air pollution is making it hard for some Washington state flowers to get pollinated, according to a new study in the journal Science.
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How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean
In a mossy stretch of forest on Washington state’s outer coast, streets and sidewalks have appeared in recent weeks.
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National
Quinault Indian Nation hits milestone in effort to move village uphill to safety
In a remote stretch of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, streets and sidewalks have appeared. The Quinault Indian Nation spent a decade trying to move its village of Taholah out of reach of rising seas.
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Warm-water turtle rescued from Salish Sea after fishermen find her stunned by cold
A loggerhead sea turtle, usually found in warmer waters farther south, was rescued from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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Sewage burning? Yes, it’s a thing in Western Washington
Four cities in western Washington burn their sewage sludge: Anacortes, Bellingham, Lynnwood, and Vancouver, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.