For one hour (from 8:30 to 9:30) this Saturday evening, Times Square’s super bright, seizure- and fear-of-seizure-inducing lights will be turned off for the observation of Earth Hour, an annual international event intended to raise awareness of energy usage and conservation. For the first time ever, the New Year’s Eve ball will go dark, as will several buildings in the area, including the electronic-ad-covered One Times Square. According to DNAinfo, advertisers spend about $23 million a year on One Times Square’s billboards, which means that they’ll be paying $2,625 to give 60 minutes of peace to New Yorkers who happen to find themselves in the city’s biggest tourist holding pen.
