#10 - Neil Dullaghan: Using research & strategic thinking to help animals effectively

The Giving What We Can Podcast

In this interview, we chat to Neil Dullaghan, a Senior Researcher at Rethink Priorities, a think tank that pursues and shares research with key decision makers about how to best help people and non-human animals both now and in the long-term future.
We talk about Neil's work on animal welfare, why people might choose to prioritize farmed animal welfare or wild animal welfare, the role of research in the animal welfare landscape, and what you can do to help non-human animals Neil also discusses how the principles of effective altruism inform his work, and that of Rethink Priorities.
If you'd like to learn more about Rethink Priorities, visit their website: https://rethinkpriorities.org/
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction to Neil and Rethink Priorities
01:24 - What attracts Neil to effective altruism
01:51 - Neil makes the case for focusing on farmed animal welfare
03:21 - The work Rethink Priorities is doing on farmed animal welfare
03:53 - Considerations for working on wild animal welfare
05:16 - Advice for small to medium donors interested in farmed animal welfare
07:00 - The different approaches to improving animal welfare
08:53 - Policy intervention success stories
09:36 - Why research is important for improving animal lives
11:39 - How Neil became passionate about animal welfare
12:10 - Beyond donating, what can people do to help?
13:03 - How Neil has changed his approach to giving, research, and advocacy
14:10 - Forecasting the cultured meat landscape going forward 16:58 - How would Neil spend a billion dollars?
17:54 - Neil's asks for viewers
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
🌍Organisational spending on farmed animal welfare:
👉 Spending in 2020
https://farmedanimalfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/External-FAF-State-of-the-Movement-Report-2021.pdf
👉 Neglected spending areas
https://www.vox.com/2021/11/26/22772693/animal-rights-welfare-movement-global-factory-farming
🌍Donor advice & resources:
👉 Giving What We Can Recommendations
https://givingwhatwecan.org/best-charities
👉 EA Animal Welfare Fund
https://funds.effectivealtruism.org/funds/animal-welfare
👉 The importance of small donors
https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/cjH2puDzAFrtrrThQ/despite-billions-of-extra-funding-small-donors-can-still
CREDITS:
Production: Julian Hazell & Grace Adams
Videographer and video editor: Andy Brice
Video editor: Marco Shimabukuro
Interviewer: Luke Freeman
Guest: Neil Dullaghan
OUR RESOURCES:
✍️ Take a giving pledge: https://givingwhatwecan.org/pledge
💕 Giving recommendations: https://givingwhatwecan.org/best-charities
🤑'How Rich Am I?' calculator: https://howrichami.givingwhatwecan.org
🤓Recommended books, videos, podcasts: https://givingwhatwecan.org/resources
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