Minneapolis to turn off the lights for one hour on Saturday

The City of Minneapolis will turn off lights in some downtown buildings as part of the International Earth Hour Saturday night from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This effort to reduce carbon emissions calls for residents and businesses to turn off any unnecessary lights and electrical appliances for one hour. Minneapolis council member Scott Benson said the city will turn off lights on the the Stone Arch Bridge, too.

"The hope is that people will adopt strategies in their own life that will decrease their energy usage... Things that they will do every day will just become second nature and common place for folks," Benson said.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, last year with 2.2 million participants. Australia saw a 10 percent decrease in energy usage for that hour.

Many businesses in Minneapolis have agreed to participate, including Wells Fargo Center, Thrivent Financial, and the Orpheum and Pantages theaters.

Minneapolis is among the first cities in North America to participate.

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