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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Lummi tribe improvises as flooding turns its reservation into an island
Rising floodwaters following two days of intense rain cut off the Lummi Reservation from the outside world.
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Big Northwest floods a ‘dress rehearsal’ for a hotter climate
This week’s intense rainfall and flooding in northwestern Washington state and British Columbia offer a glimpse into the future, climate scientists say.
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Activists urge world leaders to make immediate pollution cuts for a livable climate
One by one, what looked like world leaders splashed their way to the podium in Glasgow, Scotland.
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How one Northwest tribe aims to keep its cool as its glaciers melt
Record-breaking heat took a heavy toll on the Northwest this summer, from beaches to cities to mountaintops. In the Washington Cascades, some glaciers lost an unprecedented 8% to 10% of their ice in a single hot summer.
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Northwest glaciers are melting. What that means to Indigenous ‘salmon people’
Up and down the I-5 corridor, people noticed something odd when they looked to the east this summer.
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Seattle mayor proposes new climate measures to tackle pollution from traffic and buildings
At the global climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced policies she says will take a big bite out of Seattle’s climate-harming emissions from buildings and cars.
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Ship that spilled 100+ containers could have ridden out the storm in sheltered waters
The ship that spilled more than 100 shipping containers off the Washington coast was in a holding pattern on the open ocean when it could have ridden out the storm in sheltered waters.
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Big shippers promise zero carbon by 2040. Too late, say climate activists
Major shippers including Amazon and Ikea say they will stop putting their stuff on ships that burn fossil fuels in the next 20 years.
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Ship that spilled 40 containers off Olympic Peninsula catches fire. Spills 2 more
“You have been advised to evacuate the entire vessel,” a coast guard official radioed the captain. “All crew members and captain included. Over.” “Negative, sir,” the captain replied from the burning ship.
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Cargo ship spills 40 shipping containers off Washington’s Olympic Peninsula
A cargo ship heading from South Korea to Canada hit rough seas and spilled about 40 shipping containers off the Olympic Peninsula Friday morning.
