Luke Runyon
As KUNC’s reporter covering the Colorado River Basin, I dig into stories that show how water issues can both unite and divide communities throughout the Western U.S. I produce feature stories for KUNC and a network of public media stations in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada.
I love public radio because I know the power of hearing someone’s story in their own words, using their own voice. You can get a much better sense of who someone is and what their motivations are just by listening to how they speak, and that’s a big part of why I love public radio reporting.
Before covering water at KUNC I covered the agriculture and food beat for five years as the station’s Harvest Public Media reporter. I’ve also reported for Aspen Public Radio in Aspen, Colo. and Illinois Public Radio in Springfield, Ill. My reports have been featured on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here & Now and APM's Marketplace. I’m a proud graduate of the University of Illinois’ Public Affairs Reporting program.
My work has been recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists, Radio Television Digital News Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Public Media Journalists Association.
When I’m not at the station you can usually find me out exploring the Rocky Mountains with either a pack on my back or skis on my feet (sometimes both at the same time).
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Despite the growth of population in the western U.S., water use in cities such as Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego and Phoenix is going down. The reason? High-tech, low-flow toilets. -
Hundreds of millions of beavers used to populate the West but were hunted to near extinction. Turns out, beavers are critical to healthy water ecosystems, so now there are efforts to bring them back. -
Dust in the Rocky Mountain snow can cause elevated water runoff, and greater opportunities for forest fires. -
Becky Ravenkamp is a farmer who's taken on many roles to keep her Colorado farm town afloat. She thinks candidates this election year have largely overlooked rural America.
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Slaughterhouses, while safer than decades ago, are some of the country's most hazardous workplaces. They are fined by the government for safety violations, but those fines may not be big enough. -
Slaughterhouses, while safer than decades ago, are some of the country's most hazardous workplaces. They are fined by the government for safety violations, but those fines may not be big enough.
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At the Heartland Biogas Project, spoiled milk, old pet food and vats of grease combine with helpful bacteria in massive tanks to generate gas. It's all thanks to anaerobic digestion. -
Cows are being bred to be larger, hungrier, and more productive. But this drive to raise ever-larger, hulking Holsteins has some prominent livestock advocates ringing alarm bells. -
Cutting meat is hard, hazardous work, and it still takes thousands of workers to run a modern beef plant. But protein powerhouse JBS is looking for ways to automate the art of butchery. -
Slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants throughout the country employ a lot of people. About a quarter of a million Americans prepare the beef, pork and chicken that ends up on dinner tables. But some of those jobs could eventually be replaced by robots. The world's largest meatpacking company is looking at ways to automate the art of butchery.
