Listen Now: Lawless Planet

Summary

Lawless Planet: Unraveling the Dark Underbelly of the Climate Crisis

Episode: Listen Now: Lawless Planet
Release Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Zach Goldbaum
Podcast Network: Wondery

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Lawless Planet," hosted by Zach Goldbaum, listeners are plunged into the heart of environmental turmoil where crime and the climate crisis intersect. This episode delves deep into the harrowing tale of LJ Price, a coal mine worker whose mysterious disappearance uncovers a web of deceit, corruption, and environmental devastation.

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The Disappearance of LJ Price

At the core of this episode is the unsettling story of LJ Price, a 38-year-old coal mine operator from Bluefield, Virginia. LJ, known to friends as LJ, had recently been exhibiting signs of distress both personally and professionally. His wife, Amy Price, becomes increasingly worried after LJ fails to return home on the night of April 18, 2018.

Key Details:

• Last Contact: LJ was last heard from around 8 PM, mentioning some obligations at a coal mine he was involved with.
• Physical Description: LJ is described as 5'10" with a muscular build, sporting a panther tattoo on his bicep and a tattoo of Jesus with the cross on his chest.

Notable Quote:

"If something happens to me, be thankful for the years we've had together. Also, liquidate all the stuff and stay in one location."
— LJ Price (01:45)

Despite extensive searches involving police, helicopters, and canine units, LJ remains missing until a startling discovery 24 hours later—a sighting by a driver 20 miles away, matching LJ's description. This revelation not only reignites hope but also signals the beginning of a deeper investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

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Unveiling the Dark Underbelly

Zach Goldbaum masterfully weaves LJ's personal turmoil with the broader environmental issues plaguing our planet. The episode highlights how individual tragedies are often symptomatic of larger systemic problems, particularly within the coal mining industry.

Themes Explored:

• Corporate Greed and Environmental Degradation: LJ's involvement in coal mines from Virginia to Montana exposes the rampant exploitation of natural resources for profit, often at the expense of ecosystems and communities.
• Activism and Resistance: The narrative underscores the bravery of activists who risk their lives to protect the environment, juxtaposed against corrupt corporate tycoons who prioritize profit over sustainability.
• Community Impact: Ordinary people find themselves entangled in these conflicts, facing dire consequences as environmental and corporate battles intensify.

Notable Quotes:

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

"Nature is telling us. I can't take this anymore."
— Various Voices (04:02)

These poignant statements encapsulate the urgent and pervasive nature of the climate crisis, emphasizing that its effects are widespread and deeply personal.

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Environmental Crimes and the Climate Crisis

The episode broadens its scope to examine various environmental crimes contributing to the escalating climate crisis. Goldbaum recounts numerous instances where illicit activities intertwine with environmental destruction:

• Pipeline Sabotage: Environmental activists chaining themselves to pipelines in Louisiana swamps to prevent oil spills and protect ecosystems.
• Conservationist Risks: Butterfly conservationists in Mexico facing deadly threats from powerful drug cartels opposed to their efforts.
• Illegal Mining Operations: Brazilian street gangs engaging in unauthorized gold mining in the Amazon, wreaking havoc on one of the world's most vital rainforests.

Notable Quote:

"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?"
— Various Voices (04:22)

This visceral imagery underscores the devastating environmental impacts of unchecked industrial activities and criminal behavior.

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Connecting Personal Tragedy to Global Issues

Through LJ Price's story, Goldbaum illustrates how individual lives are inexorably linked to larger environmental and societal issues. LJ's disappearance serves as a catalyst, revealing the intricate and often perilous connections between human actions, corporate malfeasance, and environmental degradation.

Key Insights:

• Interconnectedness of Crises: The episode highlights the inextricable link between personal struggles and global challenges, showing how local events can reflect and influence broader environmental trends.
• Urgency of Addressing Environmental Crimes: By spotlighting specific cases of environmental wrongdoing, Goldbaum emphasizes the critical need for accountability and proactive measures to mitigate the climate crisis.
• Human Stories Behind Statistics: The narrative brings a human element to abstract environmental data, making the consequences of climate change and environmental neglect more relatable and impactful.

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Conclusion

"Lawless Planet" serves as a compelling exploration of the intersection between crime and environmental destruction. Through the harrowing tale of LJ Price and the broader examination of environmental crimes, Zach Goldbaum paints a vivid picture of the challenges facing our planet. This episode not only informs but also urges listeners to recognize the immediate and personal nature of the climate crisis, advocating for awareness and action.

Final Notable Quote:

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

Listeners are encouraged to engage further with "Lawless Planet" by subscribing to the Wondery app or other podcast platforms, where new episodes continue to shed light on the pressing environmental issues of our time.

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Discover More:

Follow "Lawless Planet" on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts to stay informed and engaged with the ongoing battle for our planet's future.

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.

[Zach Goldbaum]

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?

[Zach Goldbaum]

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.

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?

[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. 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.

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.