Millions Worldwide To Turn Off Lights For Earth Hour

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Millions of people worldwide are expected to turn off their lights for an hour Saturday night as part of the annual Earth Hour call for energy conservation.

The illuminated pylons that mark the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport will glow solid green for one hour, then will go dark during Earth Hour, which lasts from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., according to LAX officials.

The Queen Mary will extinguish many of her exterior lights, including the smokestack and hotel guests will be invited to turn off their non-essential stateroom lights.

Several restaurants in Los Angeles are expected to turn off their lights, promoting dining by candlelight.

All non-essential event lighting will be turned off for an hour at The Home Depot Center in Carson, coinciding with the second half of the Chivas USA-Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer game. All lighting will be turned off in the stadium's 42 luxury suites.

Saturday marks the fifth annual Earth Hour observance, which is organized by the World Wildlife Fund. Last year, more than 80 million people in the United States and nearly 1 billion worldwide turned off their lights as part of the event, organizers said.

Among the landmarks that are set to go dark between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. local time are the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, where about 500,000 lights will be turned off.

"Earth Hour is a chance for people and communities across the globe to join together with the common purpose of a sustainable future for our planet," Andy Ridley, the co-founder and executive director of Earth Hour, said.

"This year, Earth Hour asks people to commit to an action, big or small, taking Earth Hour beyond the hour."

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)