Save the world with 10% of your salary (De Groene Amsterdammer)
Written by
EAN Team
In an extensive article in De Groene Amsterdammer, Pepijn Vloemans explores the global movement of effective altruism (EA). The story begins with philosopher Toby Ord, who calculated in 2007 that with one million pounds over his lifetime, he could prevent blindness in 80,000 people by donating to effective treatments for trachoma.
Vloemans describes how EA has grown from a small group of Oxford students into a global movement with over 7,000 active members, driven by the question: "How can you do the most good in your life?" Through scientific evidence and logical reasoning, effective altruists search for the most effective ways to solve problems.
The article demonstrates how the movement has evolved from a focus on poverty alleviation to three main priorities: aiding the poorest of the poor, reducing animal suffering in intensive livestock farming, and preventing existential risks such as pandemics, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
With concrete examples - from the Lead Exposure Elimination Project that aims to ban lead from paint to Allfed researching how humanity can survive after catastrophes - Vloemans illustrates how EAs tackle problems that are large, underexposed, and solvable. The movement is characterized by a culture of critical thinking, measuring results, and openness to new insights.
Read the full article by Pepijn Vloemans in De Groene Amsterdammer: