The Green Pope warned us but no one listened - Now the devastation of nations is upon us

'Whole nations will be threatened in terms of their existence.'

The Green Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, is known for his conservation and call for carbon-neutral states - but too few have listened and the world may suffer deadly consequences.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Pope Benedict XVI warned the world of the dangers that come with ignoring the environment.

He called for the conservation of ecosystems, something Pope Francis continues to call for today.

Before shocking the world with his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the environment is a gift from God and it is our responsibility to conserve it.

During the 2010 World Day of Peace, he explained: "Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because 'creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works,' and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind.

"Man's unhumanity [sic] to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development - wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights.

"Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect - if not downright misuse - of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen 'that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying."

But we didn't listen.

Today, ecosystems around the world have become endangered. Nearly 19 percent of the world's coral reefs are already gone, with 50 percent of that in the Caribbean alone.

Scientists believe another 15 percent can die off within the next two decades.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has seen the worst coral die-off ever witnessed in the history of the world.

The sad discovery was reported Monday by Australian scientists on Coral Reef Studies.

So what does this mean for the world? How are the nations "devastated?"

Without coral reefs, which are part of the basic foundation of the ocean's food chain, nearly half the fish in the world will die off.

Over 1 billion people in Asia alone depend on these fish for their food and livelihoods. Without the reefs, fish die off then hunger, poverty and even political instability can ensue.

Carl Gustaf Lundin of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, explained: "Whole nations will be threatened in terms of their existence."

In only nine months of warmer waters, 67 percent of coral in Australia's Great Barrier Reef suffered bleaching.

"We've seen three bleaching events (in the reef) and each time it can be explained by where the warm water was," a Terry Hughes, the ARC Center of Excellent for Coral Reef Studies Director, told CNN.

"In the north, the summer temperatures got up to two degrees above the normal maximum and that caused severe bleaching...It's quite sobering, we've now seen three of these events, each one was more severe than the last and these have occurred with less than one degree of global warming.

"Two degrees of global warming will mean these events are more severe...Unfortunately the 67 percent loss we've detected means that pristine northern part is now in a worse condition than the lower part."

So what can we do?

Experts call for more voices to support the cut on carbon emissions, which are currently rising sea temperatures and making water more acidic, which leads to dying coral.

More no-fishing reefs need to be declared, and controlled coastal developments and pollution could possibly reverse, or at the very least stall, the death of more coral reefs.

Though many fishermen and women are fighting these ideas, the alternative may be such an impaired oceanic ecosystem that there will no longer be fish to catch anyway.

"Fish will become a luxury good," Cassandra deYoung of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization stated. "You already have a billion people who are facing hunger, and this is just going to aggravate the situation.

"We will not be able to maintain food security around the world."

Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist and head of the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained: "A world without coral reefs is unimaginable.

"Reefs are precious sources of food, medicine and livelihoods for hundreds of thousands around the world. They are also special places of renewal and recreation for thousands more. Their exotic beauty and diverse bounty are global treasures."

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