The Miss Earth 2015 pageant recently concluded in Vienna, Austria. Angelia Ong from The Philippines won the tilt, making her the second consecutive Filipina to win the crown. A proud moment for the Philippines! However, we’re dedicating a special post to everyone’s favorite pageant portion: the Miss Earth 2015 Q&A. Let’s see how the candidates fared:
If you would be elected Miss Earth 2015, and you were given the chance to speak to President Obama, what would you ask him regarding climate change?
Miss USA Britanny Payne replied: “What a big question. So… first off: I would definitely have to sit him down and tell him that’s it not just about him. It’s about our country. Because as Miss Earth, it’s including— It’s being the voice. It’s influencing and reaching out to every single person. So I’d sit him down and make sure that we would include every… single… person.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9qILHcVvug
Way to sound condescending of your President, Miss USA. Ugh.
Amiciness answers: “If I were given the chance to speak to President Obama about climate change, I would say that the country needs to take immediate action to cut our carbon footprint. We need to incorporate more topics about the environment, specifically climate change and global warming, into the school curriculum, so that kids these days understand that it is something we can all prevent as a nation, as one world united.”
I would just like to know if you happen to have an environmental hero. If yes, it’s okay. If no, it’s still okay. But why?
Miss Australia Dayanna Grageda related: “Absolutely. I’m from the Land Down Under, Australia, and Steve Irwin has been an incredible hero to me. I’m sure all of you know him. He’s an incredible activist, conservationist, and lover of animals, and I have aspired to be just like him. I believe that he was one person that inspired millions of people, children, adults, with his humour, with his informative documentaries. And that is what I want to strive to do as Miss Earth as well. Because I believe that knowledge can create change. And when people are inspired with passion, they will act. And that is what I love about Steve Irwin.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDLZK5a6A2k
This is probably my favorite answer from the lot. Love Steve Irwin! Because I can’t improve on Miss Australia’s answer (because it’s already perfect!), I’ll answer the question in the point of view of Miss Philippines.
Amiciness answers: “I can’t recall a specific name but I’m sure the Philippines has a lot of unsung environmental heroes. Unrecognized heroes doing their part how little it may be to save mother earth. I’m inspired by those who’re devoting their time to save the mangroves, students that volunteer to clean our coasts, those who risk their lives in guarding trees from illegal loggers. We can get inspiration anywhere but the problem lies with action. If we could just stop complaining and start acting, the earth can be enough for all of us.”
When you come home from this pageant, what you will do in your country for the environment?
Miss Brazil Thiessa Sickert claimed: “Hello, good night everyone. I’m happy to be here tonight. And yeah— First thing I would do I’ll thank God for being here today. And I would like to talk to my people because they don’t know how serious the situation is. In my country, the problem is education. Our children don’t have education. We are going through a hard time right now. What I would do is tell the children that the climate change is very dangerous. And what’s going on right now is because of it. Thank you.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGaRksv2rCk
Amiciness answers: “The summer Olympics will be held next year in Rio de Janeiro in our country (Brazil). It will bring us a lot of tourism, but the amount of construction and destruction that went into hosting the games have caused a lot of damage to the environment. I would speak with the organizers and the government to find ways to not create further environmental destruction. I would bring up and make them aware of ways to make the games more “green” and more environment-friendly.”
The slogan of Miss Earth for the last 15 years is “Beauty for a Cause.” If you were asked to propose a new slogan for the next 15 years, what would it be?
Miss Philippines Angelia Ong articulated: “If I were to make a slogan for the next 15 years, that would be ‘We will, because we can.’ I want to let everybody know that all things are possible and all things are feasible if we work together. We will, because we can.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jXqPW-m0eQ
Amiciness answers: “If I were to make a slogan for the next 15 years, that would be ‘We will, because we can.’ I want the world to know that the environment is not a hopeless case. We are not a hopeless case. We can still save the earth if we decide to do so. As Miss Earth, I will be the first to believe that we will, because we can.”
Compared to our parents’ generation, do you think that this generation is more friendly or less friendly to the environment?
Miss Austria Sophie Totzauer rambled: “I think this generation is more friendly to our environment. And I think we have to teach our kids how they can live a healthy life. And to save our Mother Earth.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ton9NsY7YE
This is an easy question. Of course the younger generation is the more environment-friendly one!
Amiciness answers: “This generation is more friendly to the environment, because through advanced technology and the internet, we’ve become more aware and knowledgeable of how we can protect the environment. We know that the environmental protection is not confined to our own countries alone. A slight change in the weather on one side of the world can cause a hurricane on the other. This generation is more connected and, in turn, globally, we have power to save the world.”
Before we get to the Spanish-speaking countries. Let me just say: the Spanish interpreter was a mess. He didn’t really do a good job of interpreting the candidates’ answers, which might have cost some of the girls a chance at the title. Therefore, if somebody could provide us with the original Spanish answers and a better translation that would be great. 😆
If you would become the next Miss Earth 2015, what will be your first project in your country?
Miss Chile Natividad Leiva‘s interpreter mentioned: “The social project that is already running in Chile is recycling. With that we help people with less money and vulnerable people and the Flora & Fauna Ministry. And right now we are creating a project in the whole Chile with this ministry.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLC2amt6hJ0
Amiciness answers: “Air and water pollution is still a big problem in our country (Chile). The mining industry does provide the Chilean people with jobs, but it affects not just their and their children’s health but also the safety of future generations of Chileans. I would enact projects to increase awareness and show people that along with booming industry we must remember that the Earth is finite. We must save some for the future.”
If you would become the next female president of your country what would you change?
Miss Colombia Estefania Muñoz‘s interpreter meandered: “Okay. I think that the actual president is making a great labor (What?). And as the president, I will impose taking care of the environment to get a green Earth. I will take care of the allocation and culture of the youngest people. To understand that if the earth give us they after they (What?). We have to give them back something. Gracias.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09ndmFWlZMc
Amiciness answers: “As the president or person in charge, I would like to focus on environmental issues. Our government has not yet focused a lot of their energy and resources to environmental issues, and I think it’s high time that changed.”
You seem to have in your country a lot of problems at the moment, but if you were in charge, what would be the first thing you would like to change?
Miss Venezuela Andrea Rosales‘s interpreter declared: “Buenas noches. The first thing I would change would be education. I would implement the love to environment and to conversation of the environment. And right now in my country I won’t say that this is a problem that is not being [taken care of] right now. But we have to make the change to help this, the environment and save our environment. And which better way than give love to children.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMsd7X7rf9E
Amiciness answers: See answer for Colombia. Hahaha!
That was pretty frustrating to transcribe. If only I could understand Spanish. Anyway… a lot of these questions are the same, just worded a little differently. All of them boil down to “If you were in charge, what would you do to help the environment?” That’s something you would ask a ten-year-old. Like seriously. The organizers of Miss Earth 2015 must not have screened these questions beforehand, or prepped the judges to diversify their questions to really challenge the girls to speak about the environment and reach out to the audience.
If only the candidates were given much more meaningful and precise questions, then they could have touched upon and really went deep into discussions of their country’s specific environmental issues and how they propose to resolve these. The questions they were given didn’t further the discussion and promotion of the environment as an urgent global issue, and the Miss Earth 2015 Q&A should have been the perfect platform.
I. Thank. You.
What questions would you have asked the candidates? Sound off in the COMMENTS below. Also, VOTE in our poll: Who gave the best Miss Earth 2015 Q&A answer?
