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
Have a Holly Noxious Christmas? State board eyes un-jolly label for invasive greenery
Washington state officials are debating whether to brand a traditional holiday decoration a noxious weed. The dubious decor is English holly.
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Environment
Energy foes spar with misleading claims over natural gas Initiative 2066
"Stop the gas ban," roadside signs and online ads urge Washington voters, even though gas hasn’t been banned in Washington.
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Environment
Mudslide shuts down I-5 North in Bellingham following extreme rain
I-5 in Bellingham was slammed by 2,000 cubic yards of mud Sunday around 5 a.m. following extraordinarily intense rain.
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Environment
Cold, lost sea turtle is returned from the Northwest to warm California waters
The Vancouver Aquarium took in the hypothermic turtle, nursed her back to health, and gave her a name: Moira, after a character in the TV comedy “Schitt’s Creek.”
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Environment
Too much cyanide in Puget Sound? EPA to review state regulations
Federal officials have agreed to take another look at how Washington state regulates a deadly poison — cyanide.
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Environment
Endangered Northwest orca population drops as 3 males die
Three members of the Northwest’s population of endangered orcas died over the past year.
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Environment
Sister seas on opposite shores face same foe: polluted runoff
“Why do we think it takes 40 or 50 years to fix an estuary, a series of rivers, or even a bay? If you stop putting shit in these rivers, they get better fast."
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Environment
River otter drags child off dock, under water in Bremerton
A river otter pulled a small child off a dock and dragged it underwater at the Bremerton Marina Thursday morning.
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Environment
Shhh! The orcas can’t hear their dinner
When an orca hunts salmon, it clicks and buzzes. It sends a beam of sounds from its nasal passages into the murky depths in hopes that the sound waves will bounce back and reveal the location of its next nutritious meal. Those hopes are often dashed when noise from passing vessels drowns out orcas’ sonar signals.
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Environment
Deadly white-nose disease is spreading in Western Washington bats
A deadly disease in bats is spreading in western Washington.
