There are certainly a lot of people around here who might be planning to snub Earth Day this year.

Mother Nature has been acting a lot more like an overcaffeineted Joan Crawford than Carol Brady, to name a couple other famous moms. Her temper was indeed cruel to many Maine families this week.

Not to make excuses, but we did put those roads, power lines and houses where trees have been falling and rivers have been flooding for a long time. And, after all, it is the only planet we’ve got, at least for the time being.

Spaceship Earth was the term used around the time of the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. The point was that since we’re basically along for the ride, bumpy or not, we ought to keep the old orb clean and tuned up.

That first Earth Day was a big deal, with more than 20 million people participating in demonstrations around the country. Soon after, President Richard Nixon created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Congress, with help from Maine’s Sen. Edmund Muskie, passed the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

We can’t let this Earth Day pass without also dropping the name Rachel Carson, a part-time Mainer who published Silent Spring in 1962 and has been called the mother of the environmental movement. Next month is the 100th anniversary of her birth, and local events are planned to remember her.

Many believe Earth Day 2007 marks another important moment in the relationship between people and their planet.

Growing concern about humans upsetting earth’s climate, primarily by burning coal, oil and gas, is focusing attention once again on the well-being of Spaceship Earth. We may be headed into a new environmental ethic, though it’ll take a decade or two to see if this Earth Day is anywhere near as historic as the first.

There are plenty of activities planned around the state, both today and tomorrow. And Mother Nature is supposed to be in a much better mood. We’re talking Donna Reed-nice, even.

Of course, there’s a lot to be said for staying put and not even starting the car on Earth Day. Here are a few things, compiled from many different sources, that you can do that really are carbon neutral and, as a bonus, may also save you money.

Make a household climate action plan – a list of ways you can reduce energy use in the next month or year. (You know – buy more efficient light bulbs and appliances, eliminate trips in the car, hang your clothes out to dry...)

Organize the old chemicals and hazardous stuff hanging around the garage, basement and kitchen so you’ll be ready to take advantage of hazardous waste collections this spring.

Check the air pressure in your car’s tires and, if they’re low, remember to fill them next time you’re out.

Draw up a yardscape plan that includes less lawn to mow, and more trees and native plants.

Create a system, or plan one, for composting food waste and yard waste.

Feed the birds. They’ve got to be hungry.

Ride a bike or walk someplace where you might normally drive. And, if you’re lucky enough to see a flower, for God’s sake stop and smell it.

Below is a partial list of events.

SATURDAY

Brunswick - The Frontier Cafe Cinema & Gallery on Maine Street will show a film and host a series of free community presentations on sustainability. For more information look here.

Damariscotta -The Midcoast Sustainable Energy Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Central Lincoln YMCA. All events are free.

Cape Elizabeth - Cultivating Community is looking for volunteers to help clean, prepare gardens, and plant potatoes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Turkey Hill Farm on Old Ocean House Road. To volunteer, call 415-9841.

Scarborough - The annual cleanup of Scarborough Marsh and town beaches is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon. To volunteer, call 883-6050.

Wells - Wells Reserve will offer tours, live music and family activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Laudholm Farms Road. For more information, look here.

Bar Harbor - College of the Atlantic will celebrate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with informational booths, children’s activities, music and more. For more information, look here.

Oakland - A Central Maine Forum on Climate Change will be held at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Messalonskee High School.

SUNDAY

Portland - The seventh annual Earth Day Festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Congress Square.

Saco - Ferry Beach Ecology School will hold nature walks, tours, demonstrations and readings from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school on Route 9. For a complete list of events, look here.

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