Miss Earth

Miss Earth is an annual international environmental-themed beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Along with its rivals Miss World and Miss Universe, Miss Earth is one of the three largest beauty pageants in the world in terms of the number of national-level competitions to participate in the world finals. The reigning titleholders dedicate their year to promote specific projects and often address issues concerning the environment and other global issues through school tours, tree planting activities, street campaigns, coastal clean ups, speaking engagements, shopping mall tours, media guesting, environmental fairs, storytelling programs to children, eco-fashion shows, and other environmental activities.

The Miss Earth winner is the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. The Miss Earth Foundation also works with the environmental departments and ministries of participating countries, various private sectors and corporations, as well as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

The current Miss Earth is Katherine Espín of Ecuador who was crowned on 29 October 2016 in Pasay, Philippines.

Inception
Carousel Productions organized and launched the first Miss Earth beauty pageant in 2001 as an international environmental event with the mission of channeling the beauty pageant entertainment industry as an effective tool to actively promote the preservation of the environment. The pageant has tie ins with Philippine government agencies, such as the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), as well as international environmental groups such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the American Global Release to further its environmental advocacy.

Those who participate in the pageant are involved with humanitarian and environmental causes. The pageant winner is expected to be involved in international projects, which are also promoted during the pageant's broadcast. The delegates also take part in tree planting ceremonies, environmental and cultural immersion programs, sponsor visits and tours.

In October 2001, Miss Earth adopted the slogan "Beauties For a Cause", but it was in 2003 when the first "beauty for a cause" prize was awarded. In 2004, the Miss Earth Foundation was created to further the pageant's causes and to work with local and international groups and non-governmental organizations that are actively involved in conservation and improvement of the environment. The Miss Earth Foundation campaign focuses in educating the youth in environmental awareness. Its major project “I Love Planet Earth School Tour," teaches and distributes educational aides for school children.

The Miss Earth pageant has grown over the years, with an increasing number of countries participating each year. The number of national Miss Earth pageants has grown on every continent as well.

The Miss Earth pageant started to cohost in 2006 the United Nations Environment Programme's Champions of the Earth, an annual international environment awards established in 2005 by the United Nations to recognize outstanding environmental achievers and leaders at a policy level.

In 2006, the host country Chile failed to meet the requirements of the host committee; the pageant was moved back to the Philippines.

Since it began, the pageant has been mostly held in the Philippines, either in October or November, and televised nationwide via ABS-CBN and Studio 23 with international delayed telecasts in more than 80 countries via Star World and The Filipino Channel.

Eco-fashion design competition
On November 4, 2008, the first Miss Earth Eco-Fashion Design Competition was launched by the Miss Earth Foundation as an annual event for professional and non-professional fashion designers to come up with designs that are eco-friendly. The outfit designs are made from recyclable, natural materials, organic materials, and eco-chic designs or patterns that can be worn in everyday life or are runway worthy.

Miss Earth Declaration
The pageant introduced in 2011 the Miss Earth Declaration, a manifesto pledging the support of all the candidates for a common environmental mission to be implemented in their respective countries.

"We, the Miss Earth (2011) candidates, serve as the environmental ambassadors of our respective countries. Of the many environmental initiatives being pursued by different organizations and governments, we as a group believe education should be given top priority and urge our leaders to require schools to include environmental courses in their curriculum. It should be everybody's agenda to make the Earth smile again."

Delegates
In 2003, Vida Samadzai, an Afghan woman, now residing in the United States, received press attention after she competed in a red bikini. Samadzai was the first Afghan woman to compete in an international beauty pageant in almost three decades, but the fact that she wore a bikini caused an uproar in her native country.

Miss Earth also made headlines in 2005 when a Pakistani beauty queen, Naomi Zaman, a Miss Pakistan World winner participated for the first time. She's the first delegate from Pakistan to compete in any major international pageants. Beauty pageants are frowned-upon in Pakistan.

Likewise, Miss Tibet Earth 2006, Tsering Chungtak, the first Tibetan who represented Tibet in any major international beauty pageants made headlines when she raised international attention regarding the Tibetan struggle for freedom. She also advocated for the boundaries of acceptable social etiquette towards modernity, in a traditionally conservative Tibetan culture, where most grown women wear ankle-length dresses. Nevertheless, her participation in the pageant received an approval from the Dalai Lama.

In 2007, Carousel Productions licensed the Miss Cuba organization to select the first Cuban representative to Miss Earth. Ariana Barouk won and became the first Miss Cuba in several decades and competed at the Miss Earth Pageant in which she drew in global publicity. Also in 2007, Miss Earth made history when delegates from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Tibet competed altogether for the first time in any international pageant.

In 2008, the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan, one of the world's most isolated nations, sent its first Miss Bhutan, Tsokye Tsomo Karchun. Rwanda also sent its first ever Miss Rwanda national winner, Cynthia Akazuba; both of them competed at the Miss Earth 2008 pageant.

Location


The pageant had been held in the Philippines every year from 2001 to 2009. Miss Earth 2006 was scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile on November 15, but organizational problems forced the pageant to move back to the Philippines.

In 2008, the pageant was held for the first time outside Metropolitan Manila. It was held at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles City, Pampanga on November 9, 2008.

In 2009, the pageant took place for the first time outside Luzon Island. The coronation night venue for Miss Earth 2009 was held at the Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center in the Island of Boracay, Philippines.

In 2010, the pageant finally took place for the first time outside the Philippines. The coronation night venue for Miss Earth 2010 was held at the Vinpearl Land Amphitheater at Nha Trang, Vietnam.

In 2011, the pageant was scheduled to be held on December 3, 2011 at the Impact, Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand but due to flood situation in Thailand, Carousel Productions decided to move the Miss Earth 2011 pageant venue to Manila, Philippines.

In 2012, the pageant was supposed to be held in Bali, Indonesia but the organizers did not meet the minimum requirements on time, so it was moved back to the Philippines. Miss Earth 2012 was held on November 24, 2012 at the Palace in Muntinlupa City, Philippines.

In 2015, the pageant was held for the first time in Europe at Marx Halle in Vienna, Austria.

Titles and semi-finalists
In the early years of the pageant, from 2001 to 2003, ten semi-finalists were chosen at Miss Earth. From 2004 and onwards, sixteen semi-finalists are chosen with the exception of the 2010 (10th) edition where only 14 semi-finalists were selected. Semi-finalists are cut to eight (8) finalists, then to the final four from which the runners-up and winner are announced.

The winner of the pageant is bestowed the title Miss Earth; her runners-up are also given titles named after the other classical elements: Miss Fire (equivalent to third runner-up), Miss Water (second runner-up), and Miss Air (first runner-up), however, starting 2010 the runners up or the “elemental titles” (Air, Water, and Fire) are of equal importance and thus have the same ranking. Miss Earth is the only one of the "Big Four" pageants which has individual titles for the runners-up.

Crown and jewelry
The Miss Earth crown used in 2001 and the swarovski crown in 2002–2008 were designed and created by a multi-awarded Filipino designer named Arnel Papa. In the 9th edition of the pageant, Miss Earth unveiled a new crown designed by an environmentalist jewelry designer, Ramona Haar. In the 13th edition of the Miss Earth, new tiaras were introduced for the elemental titleholders.