EA Forum Podcast (Curated & popular)

Crossposted from Otherwise My husband and I were donating about 50% of our income until two years ago, when he took a significant pay cut to work at a nonprofit. We planned to cut our donation percentage at that time, but then FTX collapsed. In the time since, we’ve decided to keep donating half, although the absolute amount is a lot smaller. In a sense this is nothing special, because it was remarkably good luck that we were ever able to afford to donate at this rate at all. But I’ll spell out our process over time, in case it helps others realize they can also afford to donate more than they thought. How we got here Getting interested in donation In my teens and early twenties, I thought it was really unfair that my family had plenty of stuff while other people (especially in low-income countries) [...] ---Outline:(00:41) How we got here(00:45) Getting interested in donation(01:09) Early years with Jeff(02:18) When we earned less(03:17) Earning to give(04:15) Both at nonprofits(04:55) EA funding declines(05:33) Currently(05:51) Avoiding spending creep(07:19) Becoming older and more boring(08:44) Habits and commitment mechanisms--- First published: December 4th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/mEQTxDGp4MxMSZA74/still-donating-half --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

This is a link post. 80,000 Hours recently updated our problem profile on factory farming, and we now rank it among the most pressing problems in the world. We're sharing the summary of the article here, and there's much more detail at the link. The author, Benjamin Hilton, published the article with us before moving on to a new role outside of 80k back in July, so he may have limited ability to engage with comments. But we welcome feedback and may incorporate it into future updates. Summary History is littered with moral mistakes — things that once were common, but we now consider clearly morally wrong, for example: human sacrifice, gladiatorial combat, public executions, witch hunts, and slavery. In my opinion, there's one clear candidate for the biggest moral mistake that humanity is currently making: factory farming. The rough argument is: There are trillions of farmed animals, making [...] The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: October 29th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/goTRwb49riDvXGdy8/factory-farming-as-a-pressing-world-problem --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Hey everyone, I’m the producer of The 80,000 Hours Podcast, and a few years ago I interviewed AJ Jacobs on his writing, and experiments, and EA. And I said that my guess was that the best approach to making a high-impact TV show was something like: You make Mad Men — same level of writing, directing, and acting — but instead of Madison Avenue in the 1950-70s, it's an Open Phil-like org. So during COVID I wrote a pilot and series outline for a show called Bequest, and I ended up with something like that (in that the characters start an Open Phil-like org by the middle of the season, in a world where EA doesn't exist yet), combined with something like: Breaking Bad, but instead of raising money for his family, Walter White is earning to give. (That's not especially close to the story, and not claiming it's [...] --- First published: November 21st, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/HjKpghhowBRLat4Hq/bequest-an-ea-ish-tv-show-that-didn-t-make-it --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Introduction The Giving What We Can research team is excited to share the results of our 2024 round of evaluations of charity evaluators and grantmakers! In this round, we completed three evaluations that will inform our donation recommendations for the 2024 giving season. As with our 2023 round, there are substantial limitations to these evaluations, but we nevertheless think that they are a significant improvement to a landscape in which there were no independent evaluations of evaluators’ work. In this post, we share the key takeaways from each of our 2024 evaluations and link to the full reports. We also include an update explaining our decision to remove The Humane League from our list of recommended programs. Our website has now been updated to reflect the new fund and charity recommendations that came out of these evaluations. Please also see our website for more context on [...] ---Outline:(00:14) Introduction(01:16) Key takeaways from each of our 2024 evaluations(01:39) Global health and wellbeing(01:44) Founders Pledge Global Health and Development Fund (FP GHDF)(04:07) Animal welfare(04:11) Animal Charity Evaluators' Movement Grants (ACE MG)(06:08) Animal Charity Evaluators' Charity Evaluation Program(08:33) Additional recommendation updates(08:37) The Humane League's corporate campaigns program(11:26) ConclusionThe original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: November 27th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/NhpAHDQq6iWhk7SEs/gwwc-s-2024-evaluations-of-evaluators-1 --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

The podcast dives into a meta-analysis exploring effective ways to reduce meat and animal product consumption. It reveals that no well-validated methods currently exist to achieve significant reductions, though cutting back on red and processed meat shows promise. However, this may inadvertently boost chicken and fish consumption, raising concerns for animal welfare and environmental issues. Future research is essential for developing better strategies. The discussion also highlights the evolution of research methods and the complexities consumers face.

TL;DR In late summer 2023, I realized my mental health was the biggest barrier to achieving my goals. Over the next six months, I made it a priority, working with a therapist on CBT, adjusting medication timing, and developing healthier habits (like meditating and wellness routines). This resulted in a noticeable improvement in my clarity, productivity, and overall well-being, which positively impacted my work and leadership. This post is part of an effort to post more :) Background and Context Late summer 2023: During a performance review, I realized my mental health was my biggest barrier to growth. I had been diagnosed with depression years earlier and medication helped significantly, but I was still having breakthrough symptoms. It was preventing me from achieving ambitious goals and handling important work decisions (like what my team should prioritize in the following quarter) I made improving mental health a top [...] ---Outline:(00:03) TL;DR(00:40) Background and Context(01:38) Nuance and Disclaimer(02:21) Some ways progress has affected my work(03:33) What Made a Difference (in my rough guess at level of influence)(03:44) Therapy (with the right therapist)(05:22) Changing the time of taking medication(05:56) Meditation and Habit Tracking(07:13) 80k podcasts on mental health(07:33) Physical Routines(07:37) Exercise(08:09) Sleep:(08:40) Final Thoughts--- First published: November 21st, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/9j35Qj5hAMs9hgAnd/how-i-improved-my-wellbeing --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

We’re far from certain that insects are sentient. But with over a trillion insects farmed annually, the welfare impacts are staggering if they can suffer. Unfortunately, fundamental questions about their well-being remain unexplored. This is where Arthropoda Foundation steps in, actively finding and funding the best opportunities to produce knowledge that can improve the lives of farmed insects. Current Research Priorities Humane Slaughter Protocols Insects are regularly microwaved, baked, and boiled alive. If producers can stun these animals before slaughter, they can reduce significant distress. We’ve found a lab willing to develop and test electrical stunning procedures for black soldier fly larvae, with an eye to creating an inexpensive, readily implementable system that can be adopted by industry partners. ~$67,000. Stocking Densities and Substrate Research For many farmed insects, the quality of their lives comes down to stocking densities and the substrate in which they’re reared—which is what [...] ---Outline:(00:38) Current Research Priorities(00:42) Humane Slaughter Protocols(01:11) Stocking Densities and Substrate Research(01:48) Automated Welfare Assessment(02:33) Funding Needs(03:52) Want to learn more about insects?--- First published: November 13th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/9fuJgLik6FNtgrDAD/support-critical-research-on-insect-welfare --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

This is a link post. Dear Giving What We Can community, We are writing to share exciting news: on Tuesday the 11th of November, the boards unanimously voted to appoint Sjir Hoeijmakers as the new global CEO of Giving What We Can. Sjir was appointed after a rigorous recruitment process. The search committee received applicants from a wide pool, ultimately interviewing five final-stage candidates. Sjir excelled in each stage of the process, showing remarkable character, competence, and humility throughout. He has a strong understanding of the effective giving community and has already excelled in temporary roles as Acting and Interim CEO this year. The committee also received feedback from a large number of stakeholders, including the boards, the GWWC team, funders, and partners. Throughout this process, it became clear that Sjir will be a highly capable leader for the organization and help guide GWWC and the team to reach their [...] --- First published: November 15th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/KXycun5WuzKDv6vGL/announcing-sjir-hoeijmakers-as-the-new-ceo-of-giving-what-we Linkpost URL:https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/en-US/blog/announcing-sjir-hoeijmakers-as-the-new-ceo-of-giving-what-we-can --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

This post is written in my personal capacity, but is based on insights that I’ve gained through my work as Effective Giving Global Coordinator and Incubator at Giving What We Can since I took on the role in June 2023. Tl;dr In my view the average reader of the EA Forum should be giving more to meta-charities like effective giving (EG) organisations. EG organisations play a crucial role in directing funds to highly impactful charities, but many are facing significant funding constraints and/or a lack of diversified funding. Supporting these meta-charities can have a multiplier effect on your donations, potentially leading to extraordinary growth in effective giving. Consider allocating a portion of your donation budget to EG organisations this giving season. Introduction When I first heard about EA from a TED talk by Peter Singer in 2017, I was inspired by the idea that we could carefully use evidence [...] ---Outline:(00:21) Tl;dr(00:57) Introduction(02:56) Why EG orgs are funding constrained(05:28) Why should you donate to EG organisations?(05:38) The multiplier effect(07:01) Positive indirect impact(07:43) Potential for significant growth(08:35) Addressing future funding constraints(09:08) The impact of additional funding(10:28) Why you might not want to donate to EG organisations(11:29) Where to give?(11:48) Giving What We Can(14:49) Effektiv Spenden(16:42) Founders Pledge(18:28) Ge Effektivt(20:09) Giving Multiplier(21:49) The Life You Can Save(22:46) Other established EG organisations(25:22) New EG organisations(28:55) Call to Action--- First published: November 8th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/fMcpbGRWBtq3QBEyA/why-you-should-allocate-more-of-your-donation-budget-to-1 --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Disclaimer: This is a weak take — mostly based on anecdotes and vibes — but I thought it's worth sharing nonetheless, even if only as a means of soliciting better takes. Disclaimer #2: I am very appreciative of everyone who is working tirelessly to pursue farmed animal protection via policy, and I want nothing more than to see it succeed! I just suspect it's going to be a longer and more difficult journey than I anticipated a few years ago, and that this is worth having an open and public conversation about. I fear the policy landscape for farmed animal protection work is looking more and more bleak. The election results from last night have reinforced this fear, with animal-friendly measures failing across the ballot, a Republican trifecta set to rule for at least two years, RFK Jr. in line to act as appointed czar of HHS/FDA/USDA, etc. [...] ---Outline:(01:06) Abolitionist ballot measures lost big in 2024.(03:20) Incrementalist ballot measures — previously some of the movement's biggest wins — may simply be undone.(04:54) We have opponents on the left and the right.(06:34) Cultivated meat is under fire. The Trump admin wont make this any better.(07:34) So what next?The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: November 6th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/rQgeBvPyBgqrej6zc/bad-omens-for-us-farmed-animal-policy-work --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.