I didn’t originally plan to publish this book.

Not because it wasn’t finished — but because it pulls back to an uncomfortable, overhead view of what the Rio Grande Valley is facing as a whole.

Over the past few years, through petitions, research, interviews, and on-the-ground work around water contamination, pollution, flooding, infrastructure strain, and public health, a pattern kept repeating: these aren’t isolated issues. They’re interconnected — and they compound.

This book exists to connect those dots.

It’s short. It’s direct. It’s meant to be read and shared by people who care about where the Valley is headed.

I also want to be clear about something important:

Proceeds from this book will directly support ongoing research and reporting this year, including:

• A documentary on Dementia & Alzheimer’s in the RGV, with filming beginning January 27, 2026  — which will also be published in book form alongside studies, data, reports, and interviews with medical and public health professionals

• A deep investigation into the Obesity Pandemic in the Rio Grande Valley, filming later this year — which will also be published in book form alongside studies, data, reports, and interviews with medical and public health professionals

This is about understanding the systems shaping our health, our costs, and our future — and funding the work needed to keep asking hard questions.

If you’ve signed the petition, followed the research, or ever asked “why does it feel like everything here is under strain?” — this book is for you.

📘 Downstream: How water, air, and pollution flow through the Rio Grande Valley

💵 $9.99

📍 Focused entirely on the Rio Grande Valley

This is about building knowledge — and using it to keep going.

Downstream: How water, air, and pollution flow through the Rio Grande Valley