Re: 2012?
Nothing apocalyptic that will end all life on Earth, people for whatever reason mistranslated the end of the calendar as being the end of the world. You've got the moronic religious fanatics who claim Nebiru will come and rip Earth to pieces, some silly author who believe aliens will land and save us before sudden death, and then just the regular silly folk who think up all the most life-threatening things possible that will happen on 2012.
The Mayans never stated anything about the end of the world, period. A cycle will restart itself (that happens once every I forgot how many years) and things will start anew... either spiritual or cosmical, but if it's happened multiple times before and Earth is in one piece, then why worry?
Although solar flares are an actual threat that has happened in the past to Earth, it's nothing to worry yourself sick over. People freaked out this same way when the whole "Y2K is coming, it's the end of the world!" was going on and nothing happened.