  According to \textit{effective realism}, scientific theories give us
knowledge about the unobservable world, but not at the fundamental level. This
view is justified by the well-received \textit{effective-field-theory} (EFT)
approach to physics, according to which our best physical theories are only
applicable up to a certain energy scale and expected to break down beyond that.
In this paper, I explain the motivations for the EFT approach and effective
realism and their benefits. I also raise new challenges for this approach.
Applying effective realism to \textit{effective quantum gravity} (EQG) reveals
its shortcomings: EQG does not give us a realistic theory of spacetime even
within its scope of validity. It also exposes a general interpretative dilemma
faced by all EFTs concerning their indispensable references to classical
spacetime beyond their scope of validity.
