Frisco to Go Dark—on Purpose

In a move initiated by a local environmentalist, San Francisco will launch a voluntary brownout next month to show people how easy it is to save electricity. Lights Out San Francisco is asking everyone to switch off unnecessary lights for an hour on October 20. Activist Nate Tyler got the idea when he watched the Sydney Opera House power down for a similar event.

 That brown out saved Sydney over 24 tons of carbon dioxide."If everyone turns off their lights for an hour, it can make a real difference," said Tyler. "And if they want to turn the lights off for longer, we're into that, too." The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and many businesses and public agencies have already signed on. (More environment stories.)