PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, September 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that those who predict the demise of humanity if environmental problems continue to be ignored may be right.

"We often hear alarming signals that if humankind keeps on ignoring environmental challenges, it, as a part of nature, may simply cease to exist," he said at a meeting with participants in a national youth environmental forum. "As a matter of fact, that just might be so."

The president put the spotlight on the decades-long argument between "those engaged in industrial activities accompanied by emissions and those who want to protect both consumers and all of nature against the negative impact of human activity, some talk about the cycles of the Universe." "But, anyway, it is evident that human activity creates problems," he noted.

As an example, he cited a "huge plastic island in the Pacific." "Obviously, this is a consequence of human activities. There is no escaping it," he said, adding environmental problems "have a precise impact on those who live on these territories."

The president is certain that environmental problems require special attention. "Primarily, from those who comprehend these problems and want to do their best to minimize their adverse effects," he added.