The American Bruce Howe, third international speaker confirmed in TICAL and the e-Science Meeting, will bring to the plenary sessions of the events an issue that is more relevant than ever: the possibilities for NREN contributions in environmental issues, especially climate change and its consequences, like tsunamis and earthquakes. In this interview, Howe, who is a Research Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and president of the international task force known as the “SMART Cable Initiative” (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunication) shares his experience in the area and gives his opinion on how advanced networks can be allies for the preservation of the environment.