Listen Now: Lawless Planet

Summary

Lawless Planet: Unveiling the Dark Side of the Climate Crisis

Podcast: American History Tellers
Episode: Lawless Planet
Host: Zach Goldbaum
Release Date: July 28, 2025
Network: Wondery

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Lawless Planet" from the American History Tellers series, host Zach Goldbaum delves deep into the intersection of environmental degradation and criminal activities. This installment uncovers a tangled web of disappearances, corporate malfeasance, and the relentless fight of activists against a backdrop of a deteriorating planet. Through a compelling narrative, Goldbaum highlights how the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue but also a battleground for justice and survival.

The Mysterious Disappearance of LJ Price

The episode opens with a chilling real-life mystery that sets the stage for exploring broader environmental crimes.

The Call for Help

At [01:01], Amy Price reaches out in desperation:
Amy Price: "Where's your emergency? Yeah, I was just calling. I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. I see him, I can't figure out where he is."

Background of LJ Price

Amy's husband, Larry Price Jr. (LJ Price), is introduced as a seasoned coal miner from Bluefield, Virginia. Described at [01:45] with distinctive tattoos and a robust presence, LJ has become a significant figure in the coal industry, overseeing operations across multiple states. However, recent signs of his depression and ominous warnings to Amy—"if something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together"—raise alarms about his well-being.

The Investigation

The narrative progresses to [03:48], where Amy voices broader concerns:
Amy Price: "From coast to coast, people are fleeing flames, wind and water. We need help out of here. We are stuck. We have caught on firearms."

As law enforcement ramps up the search, spanning from helicopters to canine units, the community grapples with uncertainty and fear. The turning point comes nearly 24 hours after LJ's disappearance when a driver spots him walking along a remote road, marking his unexpected reappearance but hinting that his ordeal is far from over.

Unraveling the Web of Environmental Crimes

LJ Price's case is not an isolated incident but a gateway to exposing the intricate ties between environmental exploitation and criminal endeavors.

The Environmental Devastation

At [04:02], Amy confronts the environmental ruin caused by unchecked industrial activities:
Amy Price: "Are we really safe? Is our water safe?"

The narrator responds at [04:04], highlighting systemic failures:
Narrator: "You destroyed our town. We call things accidents."

These exchanges underscore the tangible and personal impacts of environmental degradation on everyday lives.

Corporate Malfeasance and Activist Struggles

Zach Goldbaum contextualizes the broader implications of LJ's story by referencing various environmental conflicts:
Zach Goldbaum: "Over the years, I've reported on environmental activists chaining themselves to pipelines in the swamps of Louisiana, butterfly conservationists in Mexico who were killed for standing up to cartels. I've met Brazilian street gangs doing illegal gold mining in the Amazon."

These accounts illustrate the global scale of environmental crimes, from illegal mining to violent suppression of activists, painting a bleak picture of the ongoing battle for Earth's future.

The Crime of the Century

Concluding the main narrative, Goldbaum emphasizes the urgency and gravity of the situation:
Zach Goldbaum: "The crime of the century is the one being waged on our planet. And the time to listen is now."

This powerful statement serves as a call to action, urging listeners to recognize and respond to the intertwined crises of environmental destruction and criminal exploitation.

Conclusion

"Lawless Planet" masterfully weaves a tale of personal tragedy with global environmental issues, revealing how the fight against climate change is deeply interlaced with battles for justice and survival. Through the harrowing story of LJ Price and the broader examination of environmental crimes, Zach Goldbaum challenges listeners to confront the true cost of our planet's degradation and the lawlessness fueling it.

For those seeking to understand the multifaceted dimensions of America's history and its ongoing impact on today's environmental and social landscapes, this episode offers a profound and unsettling exploration. Tune in to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or your preferred podcast platform to embark on this enlightening journey.

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Note: This summary excludes promotional content, advertisements, and non-essential segments to focus solely on the core narrative and insights presented in the episode.

Transcript

[Zach Goldbaum]

What if I told you the biggest crime story of our time is happening right under our noses and we're all witnesses. Introducing Lawless Planet, the new podcast from Wondering that exposes the dark underbelly of the climate crisis. From the Amazon rainforest to small town America, host Zach Goldbaum uncovers shocking tales of murder, corporate cover ups and greed. You'll hear about the brave activists risking their lives for their beliefs, the corrupt tycoons destroying ecosystems for profit, and the ordinary people caught in the crossfire. This isn't some distant threat. It's happening right now. And each episode drops you into a battle for our planet's future. There are mysterious deaths, daring heists, and billion dollar scams, all with the fate of our world hanging in the balance. This is Lawless Planet. You're about to hear a clip from Lawless Planet. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Amy Price]

9:1, 1 Where's your emergency? Yeah, I was just calling. I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. I see him, I can't figure out where he is.

[Narrator]

It's just before 2am on April 18, 2018. Amy Price is in her home in Bluefield, Virginia, an Appalachian coal mining town on the border of West Virginia. Amy last spoke to her husband around 8pm he said there were a few things he needed to take care of at a coal mine he does business with. But Amy hasn't heard from him since and now she's scared.

[Amy Price]

But he's been kind of depressed lately and I know there's a lot of things going on with him. I'm just real concerned. Okay, what's his Name?

[Narrator]

Larry Price Jr. Larry Price Jr. Or LJ as he's known to friends, is 38 years old, 5' 10, muscular build, with a tattoo of a panther on his bicep and another of Jesus with the cross on his chest. LJ has spent his life in coal mines and he's risen to become a bit of a power player in the industry involved in mines from Virginia all the way to Montana. But lately, Amy could tell things at work were not going well. A week earlier, LJ told Amy, if something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together. Also, liquidate all the stuff and stay in one location. On this night in Virginia, police officers, helicopters and canines fan out across the county looking for LJ Detectives contact the last person who Amy believes has seen him. It's his pastor who tells police that he and LJ had prayed together over a business decision. Amy Price doesn't sleep that night. And as the sun begins to rise the following day, she starts to fear the worst. Then, nearly 24 hours after LJ went missing, another call comes in to 911, this time from a driver who spotted a man walking along the side of the road about 20 miles away from Amy's home. The man is wearing boots, jeans, and a flannel jacket. And beneath the neckline of a blue T shirt is a tattoo of Jesus with the cross. LJ Price is alive, but his troubles are just beginning. LJ's sudden disappearance and reappearance will set off a chain of events that will expose not only LJ Price, but the dirty underbelly of one of the country's largest coal mines. From Wondry, I'm Zach Goldbaum, and this is Lawless Planet.

[Amy Price]

From coast to coast, people are fleeing flames, wind and water. We need help out of here. We are stuck. We have caught on firearms.

[Zach Goldbaum]

Nature is telling us. I can't take this anymore.

[Amy Price]

Are we really safe? Is our water safe?

[Narrator]

You destroyed our town. We call things accidents.

[Amy Price]

There is no accident.

[Narrator]

This was 100% preventable.

[Zach Goldbaum]

I could tell I was floating in.

[Narrator]

Oil, and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done? Over the years, I've reported on environmental activists chaining themselves to pipelines in the swamps of Louisiana, butterfly conservationists in Mexico who were killed for standing up to cartels. I've met Brazilian street gangs doing illegal gold mining in the Amazon. And I've come to realize that these are the stories about our changing planet, that we need to tell stories about people and the things we're doing to either protect the earth or destroy it. In other words, the true crimes fueling the climate crisis.

[Zach Goldbaum]

The crime of the century is the one being waged on our planet. And the time to listen is now. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.