MADISON, Wis. -- Lights will dim in Madison for an hour this weekend.

The City Council has approved a resolution to join in the "Lights Out America" effort. That means it's one of the cities around the world that will shut off as many lights as possible Saturday night from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The goal is to save energy, fight global warming and prevent migratory birds from hitting buildings.

"It's a way for people to think about what they can do in their own personal lives to be more energy efficient," said Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Under the resolution, city workers will turn off non-essential lights in city facilities, and officials said they want residents and businesses to do the same.

"If we can't get a handle on this issue of global climate change, we're facing serious, serious damage to our planet," Cieslewicz said.

Essential lighting, such as stop-and-go lights, won't be affected.

Experts said that turning off five lights for an hour every day is all people would need to do to save money and cut carbon emissions.

"If every MG&E customer does that, that all adds up to 87 tons that doesn't go into the environment," said Bryan Brosamle, with Madison Gas & Electric.

City officials said they hope the one-hour challenge will lead to a more energy-efficient future.

"One person making right decisions, multiplied millions of times, can have a huge impact," Cieslewicz said.

"We need to start thinking about these issues on a regular basis, and I think this is a very good thing to do," said a Madison resident.

The "Earth Hour" project started last March 31 in Sydney, Australia, where energy consumption was cut by about 20 percent during the hour.

Some Milwaukee groups and businesses are taking part Saturday night. Other cities participating include Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco.