We’ve seen that “Subverting the Empire” requires changing our lifestyle choices to positively change the world. It demands active responses, consideration and care, instead of passiveness or cold indifference. It means slowing down to take those few minutes to think before you act. It requires us to be well-informed, considerate consumers, instead of na√É.√Øve, reckless ones.

It acknowledges that there are consequences to any decision we make, especially to habits to which we’ve grown accustomed, and forces us to be aware of them.

So how do we fight the lies that tell us our independent consumerism doesn’t have any big effects? There are a few easy ways.

I went to Wegmans the other day with my friend, who has been practicing better shopping habits to limit the harmful consequences involved in purchasing certain products. He taught me some of the things we should consider while walking up and down the aisles.

Look at the packaging of the products and try to spot items that use less paper and plastic. For example, if you really like drinking tea, buy a container of loose tea instead of tea bags. Tea bags use paper to package individual packets, with plastic to wrap the whole box or container. An added bonus — loose tea tastes better.

Another thing to consider is the product’s distribution site. Logically, if the product is coming from the West Coast, it would take more packaging and gas to ship it to Binghamton than would a product from somewhere like Rochester or Syracuse.

Supporting your local farmers and businesses not only helps the environment, but allows you to eat better. Wegmans receives many of its fruit and vegetables from local farmers who grow organic crops, which are inevitably more healthy. Also, when you buy locally grown foods, chances are they have fewer preservatives and chemicals than products shipped from halfway across the country.

Before you buy any products such as coffee, tea, sugar or cocoa, or products that contain these ingredients, consider purchasing those products that are fair trade certified. For your browsing convenience, Wegmans dedicates whole sections of the store to them.

That may seem like a lot of information to remember for your weekly Wegmans run, but there’s an easy way around this problem: reading. You’ll find that there’s more variety in healthy shopping than it may seem.

Being aware of companies and their business practices is half the battle. I was confused when my friend told me that Ben and Jerry’s was a huge advocate for high-quaity, fair trade products because when I looked on their ice cream containers, there were no fair trade-certified labels. So I searched online and they had pages and pages on their Web site explaining their supplier ethics and business practices. Reading the product company’s Web site will tell you a lot about their business ethics.

Additionally, there are some Web sites such as www.fairtrade.net to help you become more aware of which companies are supportive of, and actively moving toward, fair trade.

If you want to know more, check out “Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices” by Julie Clawson, “Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World” by Mae Elise Cannon or “Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire” by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat.

I didn’t leave Wegmans that night with this whole “Subvert the Empire” thing down. I did use reusable shopping bags and made some choices to buy organic products and put down some products I usually like, but that doesn’t mean it stops here.

I’ve made small steps that work for me, and I will continue to work at them, one choice at a time. I challenge you to do the same.