The Big Picture

NASA Science Dec 14, 2007

NASA comment on 11/6/09 about 2012

"Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.
Answer (A): Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."

But in those 4 (4.5) billion years the world has ended several times Where our existence is such a very small part of those 4.5 billion years.

What is happening in 2012 that we know of?

January 31 – 433 Eros, the second-largest Near Earth Object on record (size 13×13×33 km) will pass Earth

May 20 - Annular solar eclipse.

June 6 – The second and last solar transit of Venus of the century.

November 13 - Total solar eclipse 

December 21 – 11:12 UTC. Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

December 21 – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, notably used by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization among others, completes a "great cycle" of thirteen b'ak'tuns (periods of 144,000 days each) since the mythical creation date of the calendar's current era. 

December 31 – The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

unknown date:

On the sun, the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 24 in the 11-year sunspot cyclesunspot activity around 2012. The period between successive solar maxima averages 11 years (the Schwabe cycle), and the previous solar maximum of Solar Cycle 23 occurred in 2000–2002. During the solar maximum the sun's magnetic poles will reverse. is forecast to occur. Solar Cycle 24 is regarded to have commenced January 2008, and on average will reach its peak of maximal

And What NASA is doing regarding this.

And history of sunspots 

So maybe all this is nothing at all, or perhaps its a combination of seemingly insignificant little things that add up?