logo
episode-header-image
Jul 21
2m 37s

Introducing: Lawless Planet

Wondery
About this episode

Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube on July 28th! To listen ad-free, join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


It’s not that hard to kill a planet. All it takes is a little drilling, some mining, a generous helping of pollution and voila! Earth over. When you take stock of what’s left, it starts to look like a crime scene: Decapitated mountains, poisoned rivers, oil-soaked pelicans, maybe a sun-bleached cow skull in a dried-up lake bed. The only thing missing is yellow caution tape. On each episode of Lawless Planet, host Zach Goldbaum reveals the scams, murders and cover-ups on the frontline of the climate crisis, and the life and death choices people are making to either protect our world – or destroy it.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 4
A Murder in the Amazon
In the 1980s, an unlikely champion for protecting the Amazon rainforest emerges: Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper and labor organizer from the remote Brazilian state of Acre. His shrewd tactics keep both cattle ranchers and big banks from clear-cutting the jungle. But his success al ... Show More
49m 47s
Jul 28
The “Bomb Train” That Devastated an Ohio Town
Massive, poorly regulated trains carrying hazardous chemicals travel through American towns, cities and suburbs every day. It’s only a matter of time before one derails, with disastrous consequences. And on February 3, 2023, in the tight-knit community of East Palestine, Ohio, th ... Show More
39m 59s
Jul 28
Coal, Con Men and a Kidnapping Scheme
When a Montana coal mine executive goes missing it exposes the dirty underbelly of one of America’s largest coal mines. Now, with the help of President Donald Trump, the mine is trying to expand – unless a group of cattle ranchers can stop them. Special thanks to:Northern Plains ... Show More
48m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Nukes Below Zero
During the Cold War, the US built a secret underground city 100 feet under Greenland’s ice cap. It was disguised as a research facility but was actually meant as a site to launch missiles at Russia. The project failed and turned into a radioactive wasteland. But in the end, this ... Show More
39m 45s
Jul 8
Ruby Ridge Standoff | Visions of Armageddon | 1
Radical Christian survivalist Randy Weaver moves his family into the remote mountains of Idaho to wait out the Apocalypse. But his growing involvement in a local neo-Nazi group draws the attention of federal investigators.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, cura ... Show More
37m 43s
Mar 2025
Operation Greylord: Chicago’s Corrupt Courts
In 1979, prosecutor Terry Hake made a bold choice. He agreed to go undercover for the FBI and report on widespread corruption in the Chicago courts. As he navigated a world of bribery and backroom deals, Hake risked everything to take down some of the most powerful figures in Coo ... Show More
40m 35s
Jan 2025
The Black Panther Plot
On a cold night in December 1969, Fred Hampton, the 21-year-old leader of the Chicago Black Panther Party, lay asleep beside his pregnant partner, Deborah Johnson. Without warning, their home was raided by the police, who shot hundreds of rounds into their building. But what at f ... Show More
41m 14s
Sep 2024
Introducing: Kill List
An investigation into a murder-for-hire website gives tech journalist Carl Miller a window into the worst of humanity. Extortion. Abduction. Murder. With nowhere else to turn, Carl has to decide what to do before it’s too late. From Wondery and Novel, comes a true story about obs ... Show More
2m 58s
Feb 2025
TikTok vs the U.S.A. | A Ticking Clock | 4
President Biden signs a law giving ByteDance until January 2025 to divest from TikTok or the app will be banned in the United States. TikTok decides to fight the law in court. Then the case goes all the way to the Supreme Court. But the company’s best hope to overturn the law lie ... Show More
32m 13s
May 27
The Woman Who Sold Babies | Supply and Demand | 2
Georgia Tann tightens her grip on adoption in the city of Memphis, with the help of a growing network of accomplices.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American Scan ... Show More
37m 46s
Jul 29
Operation Fast & Furious: When Feds Armed Cartels
A secretive U.S. government operation to track gun traffickers goes horribly wrong when the weapons end up in the hands of criminals—and are used to kill a Border Patrol agent. As the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives scrambles to cover its tracks, one agent de ... Show More
34m 42s
Jan 2025
Code Name Blue Wren
Ana Montes was a trusted analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency, a rising star with access to America’s most sensitive secrets. But beneath her composed exterior she lived a double life. For nearly twenty years, she betrayed her country, feeding classified intelligence to Cub ... Show More
45m 48s
Apr 2025
The Whole Foods Rebellion | Tiny Acorns, Mighty Oaks | 2
CEO John Mackey is on a mission to take Whole Foods national. But he is about to run into major opposition. And to succeed in his quest, he must face down rebellious employees, ambitious rivals, animal rights activists and his own father.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newes ... Show More
45m 1s