Separate from these fields but also of major importance are those located in southern California. In the mid-1960s, exploitation of deposits of petroleum and natural gas was begun along the north Alaska slope." (Birdstall & Florin, 1992)
This is not enough to sustain the American economy, as Americans consume about 25% of the world's total energy production. The United States imports half the petroleum it consumes, an increasing share of the iron ore and natural gas used, nearly all of its tin and aluminum, and large quantities of many other mineral ores.
This dependence upon oil has spawned conflict within the United States political system in terms of its dependence on foreign oil, and also fears of damage to the U.S. environment because of fossil fuels that create damage to the ozone layer and the threat of oil spills.
However, as the United States grows larger over the years, it also has grown more tightly connected, from the railways of the 19th century to the Internet of today. The United States' affiliation with national disasters, from the California mudslide of recent date, to the threat of terrorism from the all too permeable borders of New York City has created a sense of unity in an increasingly interconnected nation, linked through telecommunications in the form of the World Wide Web. Again, as the United States manifests itself in greater and greater diversity though immigration it also demonstrates the possibility of connection in the face of diversity,...
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