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New Bay Bridge Light Show Goes Dark For Earth Hour

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) -- The world's largest light show is switching off for 60 minutes.

The Bay Lights on the Oakland-Bay Bridge goes dark for an hour Saturday night to mark Earth Hour 2013. Created by world-renowned artist Leo Villareal, The Bay Lights comprises 25,000 energy-efficient LED lights.

Earth Hour began nine years ago in Sydney, Australia. Since then, the lights-out initiative has spread to over 7,000 cities, towns and municipalities across more than 150 countries. Each territory turns off the lights at major landmarks from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The global rolling blackout has become an expression of solidarity and commitment to save the planet.

For the first time this year, Moscow's Kremlin and whole Red Square complex, including St. Basil's Cathedral, Historical Museum, and the famous GUM-mall switched off for Earth Hour at 8:30 p.m. local time.

Other landmarks going dark this year include: The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tokyo Tower, Taipei 101, The Petronas Towers, Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest), Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Gateway of India, The Burj Khalifa, The Church of the Nativity (Birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem), Table Mountain, Dubrovnik City Walls, Eiffel Tower, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, The Acropolis, Tower of Pisa, The Spanish Steps, Brandenburg Gate, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, The UK Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Christ the Redeemer Statue, CN Tower, Las Vegas Strip, Times Square, The Empire State Building, Niagara Falls and more.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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