Tolkien continues to be quite prescient then. The Automobile has been an unmitigated disaster for mankind, the environment, and society. It destroys the environment, it makes cities less pleasant to live in, it kills people, it causes extra friction to social interactions that damages social bonds.

> The Automobile makes cities less pleasant to live in

In 1900, there was a major manure crisis in all large european and north american cities. The swarms of flies were inescapable.