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Los Angeles City Hall will be among several area landmarks to go dark Saturday night in observance of Earth Hour, an annual international event that is intended to promote energy conservation and support action on climate change.

The Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, the Gateway pylons at LAX and other structures at USC and UCLA will also switch off their lights for one hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. The event, which began in Australia in 2007, is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.

“Our ever-growing demand for food, water, and energy is changing the climate faster than predicted — and it comes at a cost for wildlife, wild places, and people everywhere,” the organization said on its website. ”This Earth Hour, millions of people around the world will turn off their lights for one hour to show their steadfast commitment to protecting nature.”

More than 7,000 cities in more than 170 countries around the world are expected to participate in this year’s event. The Empire State Building in New York, Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Great Pyramids in Egypt are among the many landmarks expected to take part.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.