JW Marriott Starr Pass

Venues throughout the world are getting ready to turn out the lights for an hour on Saturday evening in support of Earth Hour. The event, first staged in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 homes and businesses joined in, aims to draw worldwide attention to the dangers of global warming. This year, organizers hope to prompt 1 billion people in 1,000 cities to turn off their lights at 8:30 p.m. local time.

Toronto's Exhibition Place, a trade show and entertainment venue, will "safely" turn off lights in its buildings and underground parking garages for Earth Hour, management says. The venue has instituted an employee awareness program to help staffers participate at home as well.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz., will also turn off its lights on Saturday night as part of its commitment to ensure the "preservation and survival" of its Sonoran Desert setting, management says.

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