Listen Now: Lawless Planet

Summary

Lawless Planet: Unveiling the Dark Crimes Behind the Climate Crisis

Podcast: Lawless Planet
Host: Zach Goldbaum
Release Date: July 28, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping premiere episode of Lawless Planet, host Zach Goldbaum delves into the intricate web of environmental crimes that are exacerbating the global climate crisis. This episode, titled "Lawless Planet," sets the stage for a series that explores the hidden atrocities occurring beneath the surface of environmental activism and corporate exploitation.

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The Disappearance of Larry "LJ" Price Jr.

The episode opens with a harrowing account of Larry "LJ" Price Jr., a prominent figure in the coal mining industry. On April 18, 2018, LJ mysteriously vanished from his home in Bluefield, Virginia, leaving his wife, Amy Price, frantic and desperate for answers.

Amy's Desperation

Amy Price recounts her anguish in a distressing call to 911:

Amy Price (01:10): "Yeah, I was just calling. I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. I can't figure out where he is."

Despite LJ's success in the coal mining sector, Amy reveals underlying issues in their relationship:

Amy Price (01:45): "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."

LJ's Mysterious Disappearance and Reappearance

LJ Price, known for his leadership in coal mines across Virginia and Montana, had recently displayed signs of distress. A week before his disappearance, LJ ominously advised Amy:

LJ Price (prior to disappearance): "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 the night of his disappearance, law enforcement launched a massive search operation. However, nearly 24 hours later, LJ was found alive, wandering 20 miles away from Amy's home, marking the beginning of a deeper unraveling of the coal industry's dark secrets.

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Environmental Crimes and Corporate Malfeasance

Zach Goldbaum uses LJ's story as a gateway to explore broader environmental crimes impacting our planet.

Voices from the Frontlines

The episode includes vivid testimonies from individuals affected by environmental degradation:

Various Voices (04:16): "Things. Accidents. There is no accident. This was 100% preventable."

A firsthand account highlights the catastrophic consequences of corporate negligence:

Witness (04:22): "I could tell I was floating in oil and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done?"

Global Implications

Goldbaum emphasizes that environmental crimes are not confined to distant lands but are occurring nationwide:

Zach Goldbaum (03:58): "From coast to coast, people are fleeing flames, wind and water."

He draws connections between local incidents and global environmental impacts, illustrating the pervasive nature of these crimes.

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Behind the Scenes: Activism and Violence

The narrative reveals the dangers faced by environmental activists combating these injustices.

Brave Activists at Risk

Goldbaum shares stories of courageous individuals who put their lives on the line to protect the environment:

Narrator (04:11): "I can’t take this anymore."

From chaining themselves to pipelines in Louisiana’s swamps to butterfly conservationists in Mexico facing cartel violence, these activists embody the struggle against powerful adversaries.

Corporate Greed and Cover-Ups

The episode exposes the lengths to which corporations will go to conceal their detrimental activities:

Various Voices (04:02): "We need help out of here. We are stuck."

Goldbaum highlights instances of corporate cover-ups, including illegal gold mining in the Amazon facilitated by Brazilian street gangs, showcasing the intersection of environmental destruction and organized crime.

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Zach Goldbaum's Investigative Journey

Throughout the episode, Goldbaum reflects on his own investigative efforts to uncover these hidden crimes:

Zach Goldbaum (04:32): "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."

His dedication underscores the importance of bringing these issues to light, emphasizing that understanding and awareness are critical steps toward meaningful action against environmental degradation.

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Conclusion: A Call to Action

"Lawless Planet" culminates with a powerful call to recognize and address the environmental crimes threatening our world:

Zach Goldbaum (05:12): "The crime of the century, is the one being waged on our planet. The time to listen is now."

Goldbaum urges listeners to stay informed and take action, highlighting the urgent need for collective efforts to combat these pervasive environmental injustices.

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Final Thoughts

The debut episode of Lawless Planet offers a compelling and comprehensive exploration of the intersection between environmental activism, corporate malfeasance, and the resulting climate crisis. Through personal stories, expert testimonies, and investigative journalism, Zach Goldbaum sheds light on the true crimes fueling environmental destruction, setting the tone for a thought-provoking series that demands attention and action.

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Listen to more episodes of Lawless Planet on the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Join Wondery Plus for early and ad-free access by starting your free trial at wondery.com/links/lawlessplanet now.

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 Wondery 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 corporate tycoons destroying ecosystems for profit, and the ordinary people caught in the crossfire. This isn't some distant threat. It's happening right now. Each episode drops you into a battle for our planet's future. We're talking mysterious deaths, daring heists and billion dollar scams, all with the fate of our world hanging in the balance. This is Lawless Planet. I'm about to play a clip from Lawless Planet. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy Price]

911 where's your emergency? Yeah, I was just calling. I'm trying to figure out my husband. He's been missing for a while. Receiving. 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 91 1, 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 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.

[Zach Goldbaum]

From coast to coast, people are fleeing flames, wind and water.

[Various Voices]

We need help out of here. We are stuck. We have caught on firearms.

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

Are we really safe? Is our water safe? You destroyed our town.

Things. Accidents. There is no accident. This was 100% preventable.

I could tell I was floating in oil and I remember looking under the rig and seeing the water on fire. And I thought, what have you done?

[Narrator]

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. The time to listen is now. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify.