Environment

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An export revival in the U.S. has been sparked by a dramatic drop in American natural gas prices, thanks to the shale boom fueled by well sites such as this one in Zelienople, Pa. The U.S. is now considered a highly desirable location for manufacturers relying on gas for energy and as a component in many essential materials. (Associated Press)

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Associated Press A LOT OF TREES: Choosing the right Christmas tree is a favorite tradition for families, but the needle-shedding evergreens become only memories after the holidays. That’s when governments and businesses take over and use the castoffs for a variety of purposes.

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Debris sits on a side street near Washington Street in Alexandria, La. after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

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A house in Tioga, La., is severely damaged after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

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Debris sits on the frontage road near I-49 in downtown Alexandria, La., after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

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Geraldine Pedersen and her dog Marlow were in her car traveling down U.S. 71 in the Tioga, Louisiana area when a tree fell down in front of the car and a wind knocked her car into a yard, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A tornado through the Central Louisiana area. (AP Photo/The Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

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Members of the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department and the VA Fire Department clear debris from U.S. 71 in the Tioga, La. area, after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

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Suitable Technologies Vice President Bo Preising (on screen), tests the Beam remote-presence system in Palo Alto, Calif. With video cameras, microphones and speakers, the remote-controlled machine connects remote workers with colleagues in another location. (Associated Press)

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A woman carries flowers to a Christmas tree that has become a memorial to the shooting victims in Newtown, Conn. Sympathetic messages to the community have come from around the world. (Associated Press)

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A peaceful view of Vancouver, British Columbia, from Jericho Beach could turn ugly in a hurry as a result of nearby fault lines that could produce the kind of earthquake that in 1995 destroyed Kobe, Japan, a city often drawing comparisons with Vancouver for its precarious beauty. After a powerful Oct. 27 earthquake, many West Coast Canadians are urging action to prepare for the “Big One,” which scientists predict could threaten about 8 million people. (Christopher Johnson/special to the Washington Times)

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The west coast of Canada and the United States have few warning signs or reminders, like this one in Japan, of the earthquakes and tsunamis that have struck the region with killer force. (Associated Press)

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The EPA is preparing a report on environment aspects of “fracking,” a method of drilling for natural gas and oil that has been a boon for many communities. (Associated Press)