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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Scientists finally solve the mystery of melting sea stars
For more than a decade, scientists studied the wasting disease but couldn’t figure out why it was happening. A new paper in Nature Ecology and Evolution details the likely culprit.
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Scientists crack the case of the melting sea stars. It only took a decade
Researchers in Washington and British Columbia say they have solved a deadly mystery that has stumped scientists for more than a decade.
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Keeping the Northwest’s buzz alive: saving the western bumblebee
One of the Northwest’s most common animals has all but disappeared from much of the region.
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Washington state climate policies face headwinds as Trump aims to ax regulations
Fighting climate change in Washington state could get more difficult if a Trump administration proposal becomes law.
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Washington's biggest utility pays customers to save energy during heat wave
With temperatures expected to hit the 90s in much of Washington Wednesday, the state’s largest utility is paying some customers to save energy.
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Washington state bans invasive ivy
Washington state has banned the sale or transport of English ivy and its cousin, Atlantic ivy. The leafy holiday decorations are also aggressive invaders of Northwest forests.
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Bolder efforts needed to save Northwest's endangered orcas, report finds
Efforts to save the Northwest’s endangered orcas are not working on either side of the U.S.-Canada border, according to an international panel of scientists.
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Judge un-freezes environmental justice funds for Northwest
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release $180 million in federal funding for environmental justice projects, including $60 million in the Pacific Northwest.
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Trump denies Washington state's disaster-aid request, again
For a second time, President Donald Trump has denied Washington state’s request for major-disaster aid following a bomb cyclone storm that hit in November.
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Broken no more: Seattle's glass recycling is back in business
Glass recycling is back in Seattle after a nearly year-long hiatus.