Wildness and silence disappeared from the countryside, sweetness fell from the air, not because anyone wished them to vanish or fall but because throughways had to floor the meadows with cement to carry the automobiles which advancing technology produced.... Tropical beaches turned into high-priced slums where thousand-room hotels elbowed each other for glimpses of once-famous surf not because those who loved the beaches wanted them there but because enormous jets could bring a million tourists every year

Summary

This quote highlights the unintended consequences of technological advancements and tourism on natural landscapes. It suggests that the disappearance of wildness, silence, and beauty from the countryside, as well as the transformation of tropical beaches into commercialized spaces, is not a result of explicit desire but rather an outcome of accommodating the needs of advancing technology and mass tourism. The quote emphasizes how nature and its tranquility are sometimes sacrificed for the sake of progress and convenience, leading to the degradation of once-pristine environments.

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