Phew! It’s been quite the year, huh? In this periodic end-of-the-year series, we look at the people and places that made 2011 what it was. In this installment, it’s Mother Earth.

Hope for a last minute hail mary. After the highs and lows of almost getting an installment of Live Earth in our town, then having Congress stomp all over it, Al Gore’s figured things out in the final hour and is adding the District to the globe-crossing concert. Live Earth will take place tomorrow, from 9 locations around the world. The purpose of the massive undertaking is to raise worldwide awareness of climate change. Musical…

According to the Bible, God created plants “and other green stuff” on the third day. But yesterday was a sad day for all green stuff when, as we mentioned earlier, the Post reported that one of the city’s only metropolitan garden shops and 35 year-old Dupont landmark has decided to close its doors in November. Third Day was a corner shop — in both physical location and quaint personality — with a reputation for selling…

Car-Jacking, Robbery Wave Hit District, Maryland: WTOP and the Post , among others, report that at least nine robberies and four carjackings took place yesterday, within four to five miles of each other. The spree began at 11:30 p.m. Sunday on Fairmont Street NW near Howard University, and ended with two suspects running into the National Zoo around 1 a.m. this morning. One was caught; police are still looking for the other in the area…