LOVE beauty pageants or hate ‘em, but ‘Miss Guyana Earth’ is the talk of the town these days.

Why? Later this month, seven beautiful young Guyanese women will battle for a crown; a crown that carries with it a title that is the first of its kind for our country; a crown that highlights a cause that our country is making waves championing internationally. In the pageant, expect to see Marcia Badal, Delegate Number One. The pretty 23-year- old is focusing on the issue of ‘Sustainable Logging’ as her platform, and she is sponsored by National Communications Network (NCN).

Delegate Number Two is Anesha Benjamin, who is sponsored by Forest Enterprises Ltd. The striking 22-year-old has as her platform topic, ‘Responsible Garbage Disposal’.

Gorgeous 21-year-old Velisha Easton is Delegate Number Three. Sponsored by Y&J International Cuisine, her platform is ‘Renewable Energy’.

Statuesque Shellon Fraser is dealing with the issue of ‘Using Plastics Wisely’ as her platform topic. The 22-year-old, who comes in as Delegate Number Four, is sponsored by Lucky Dollar.

Charming Franale Holder is Delegate Number Five. The 20-year-old, who is sponsored by   Sunlight International, is dealing with ‘Clean Air’ as her platform topic.

The elegant Soyini Fraser, Delegate Number Six, is sponsored by UNICOM, and the 20-year-old has ‘Reduction of Greenhouse Gases’ as her platform.

Delegate Number Seven is the alluring 19-year-old Kiswana Jefford, who is sponsored by ‘Double C’, and has as her platform ‘Embracing Controlled Logging’.

Executive Director, Ms. Pamela Dillon describes the pageant   as “A journey that started in 2008 and is now germinating.”

It’s amazing the steps that these girls are taking to protect their environment, says Dillon of the environmentally-friendly projects the lasses are expected to undertake as delegates in the competition.

The international leg of the competition, she said, is going to be rigorous, and our delegate is bound to get a lot of attention, based on what our president has done, and is doing, for the environment.

What is it that makes a good Miss Guyana Earth Delegate?  Easy, Dillon said. “The ladies have to have beauty of face and figure, and possess perfect health. They must also never have had a child, never have been married, and should have written CXC. They can be of any race and from any cultural background.”

The Miss Guyana Earth Committee comprises Wazim Khan (Chairman); Clive Prowel (Artistic Director); Juanita Huborn (Public Relations Officer); Gileon James (Head of Wardrobe); Melessa Payne (Delegate Liaison); and Lester Rauseo (Trainer).

The pageant kicked off with a National Dress Competition recently, the first in a string of scheduled events to promote the environmentally-conscious affair.

A second fashion show, dubbed ‘Elements of the Earth’ followed on May 29.  Still to come is the swimsuit leg of the competition which takes place today at 19:00h at the poolside of the Princess Hotel at Providence on the lower East Bank.

The ‘Miss Guyana Earth’ pageant is slated for June 26.  More than 90 delegates from various countries and territories will compete for the title of ‘Miss Earth 2010’, which will be held in Vinpearl Land, Nha Trang, Vietnam on December 4, 2010.

‘Miss Earth 2009’, Larissa Ramos of Brazil, will crown her successor at the end of the event.

The ‘Miss Earth’ winner serves as the spokesperson for the ‘Miss Earth Foundation’, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations.