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birb_cromble  1d ago (text post)   319 thread views

Weekly Finance Thread - 2026-08-01

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What does theMotte think might be some good charity EA options? I'm skeptical of a lot of the EA suggestions for a number of reasons. Things that have a very direct impact, like Malaria nets, I like in theory but I worry about the downstream consequences (do we really want a lot more Africans who can't feed themselves when the global fertilizer crisis really hits). Other charities that I like in theory, like the Good Food Institute, which is working on making people's diets more plant based, seem to just be paying some CEO's salary with the donations.

Right now I'm trying to donate about 10% of my net savings each month to something that I feel is good/worthwhile. Some of this will go to the guaranteed income program I participate in in Baltimore, but I'd also like to give some money to charity whose cause I agree with and has a direct impact on the world (i.e. not just paying a think-tank salary). Some causes I care about are veganism (reducing animal suffering), environmental clean-up in the US, encouraging urban agriculture/local manufacturing in general, and second language education. Would appreciate any advice.

do we really want a lot more Africans who can't feed themselves when the global fertilizer crisis really hits

Malaria nets reduce infant mortality, and reduced infant mortality causes birth rates to drop. The only way out of the African population explosion is through it.

The Nigerian infant mortality rate more than halved over 60 years, while its births per woman barely nudged.

How about instead of “the only way to win later is to keep helping the other team score more points”-type defeatist hopium, we take the money spent on malaria nets and whatever else and pay teenaged African girls and young African women to get their tubes tied. This solution is a bit coup-complete, though.

The international aid-NGO complex has been funding African birth control for decades, with the explicit aim of reducing African population growth. Saying 'Africans should have fewer children' isn't some edgy right-wing take, it's the mainstream left-wing position. The only movements against international aid-funded birth control have been from the second Bush administration (due to its pro-life sympathies) and from Musk's gutting of USAID.

And we should expect there to be a lag between reduced infant mortality and reduced fertility. That's what happened during the industrial revolution, and it caused Britain's population to increase. But without reducing African mortality to literal malthusian levels (which would of course lead to mass emigration to the rest of the world) the only option at this stage is to reduce infant mortality further. And there really isn't a tension between reducing infant mortality and encouraging birth control. The same maternity hospitals that keep babies alive are the ones that implant long-lasting contraceptives in women who don't want any more kids.

As to whether it's 'working', well, according to the MICS survey Nigeria's TFR dropped from 5.8 to 4.6 in a mere five years. That's more than a whole child. If that trend continues, Nigeria is set to fall below replacement in about 12 years. It probably won't happen that fast, but I'm certain we will see the country drop below replacement in 20 years at most.

You could donate free meals through Red Emma's which would hit your local/vegan/direct wants ...

I am violently skeptical of EA as a concept due to the events of the last several years. Between Situational Awareness, FTX, the castle debacle, the zizians, and... just the entire AI industry right now, I think setting my money on fire would result in more net good being done than giving it to anyone who is EA-affiliated.

With that out of the way, are you specifically looking for EA charities, or are you looking to maximize the utility of your charitable giving? If it's the former, I absolutely cannot help you. If it's the latter, can you explain why you're taking that approach over donating to a local charity that has a good reputation, that's close enough to scope out yourself?

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