7 Jobs that Make the World a Better Place

Want to make a real difference in the world? Consider one of these seven "green" careers that help protect—and improve—our planet. Provided by Jobs at AOL.

The following story was provided by AOLJobs.com. By Debra Auerbach for CareerBuilder Have you ever had an itch to quit your job and instead do work that makes a real difference in the world? In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we've compiled a list of seven jobs that help people live a better life – from the buildings they work and live in, to the energy that fuels their homes, to the air they breathe.  1. Conservation scientist: Conservation scientists are hired to help preserve and protect natural habitats. They usually work with landowners and federal, state and local governments to find the best ways to use and improve the land while conserving the environment.* 2. Energy auditor: When a building is cooled or heated, it uses energy. …

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VIDEO: Obama Supporters Celebrate Win

McCormick Place is filled with celebration as the race is called.

LIVE from McCormick Place: Patch reports live from the Chicago celebration. Comments on this post are set for pre-publication review.

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Orionids Meteor Shower 2012: Tips for Watching in the Chicago Area

Shooting stars will be flying Saturday night in the Chicago area. The Orionids meteor shower promises to be a show worth watching, according to info from the Adler Planetarium.

Orionids Meteor Shower 2012: Tips for Watching in the Chicago Area

Shooting stars will be flying this weekend in the Chicago area. The Orionids meteor shower promises to be a show worth watching, according to info from the Adler Planetarium.

The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show in the skies around Chicago. Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning Monday, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a bit later. According to Adler Planetarium, the shower is expected to peak in the Chicago area just before midnight Saturday, Oct. 20, and continue until just before dawn Sunday, Oct. 21. The moon sets early that night, which will keep the sky dark enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see about a dozen meteors per hour, according to Adler's information. "Despite not being the most spectacular meteor shower, the Orionids have the most well …

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Patch to Open Soon on Chicago's North Side

Five new neighborhood sites in the city of Chicago will open later this month as Patch expands its Chicago-area offerings.

Patch is coming to the North Side of Chicago. Residents of Lincoln Park, Lake View, Roscoe Village, North Center, Bucktown, Wicker Park and Lincoln Square will be the first North Siders to get Patch's unique brand of news, conversation and community celebration later this month. Our web sites operate on the philosophy that an informed, engaged community is a better community. In the summer of 2010, Patch Media set up shop in the Chicago suburbs. Today, 62 Patch sites serve communities from the North Shore to the South Suburbs, from McHenry and Lake counties in the north to Kane, Will and Kendall counties in the west and southwest. For two years, Chicagoans have asked us, "When will Patch come to the city?" To meet the demand, in August, we…

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Hop Aboard the Naper Settlement Bus and Bakery Tour

Enjoy learning about history of area bakeries and indulge your sweet tooth.

Whet your appetite and get ready for a sweet ride. Naper Settlement’s new Bus & Bakery Tour will take guests on a trip to four of Chicagoland’s historic bakeries including Labriola Baking Company, Weber’s Bakery, Lutz Café & Pastry Shop and Roeser’s Bakery. The tour leaves at 9 a.m. Sept. 20 from the Naper Settlement Visitor Center at 523 S. Webster St., and returns at 4 p.m.  Labriola Baking Company, one of the last artisan bakeries in the area, is the first stop on the trip. Bakery officials have arranged a behind-the-scenes tour especially for Naper Settlement. Tourist will learn how Rich Labriola combined his Italian heritage and studying with the masters of the French, Italian and German methods of bread making, to create his own …

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Haunted Haunts

VIDEO: Paranormal Research Team Investigates Unrequited Love Haunting

A Chicago area restaurant is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who died after an affair gone wrong.

The Country House in Clarendon Hills is known in the Chicago area for its burgers, but it’s also known for something else. “I took a ghost tour once, many years ago, and one of the stops was this restaurant,” said Diana LaPointe, who has been a longtime patron of the restaurant. Lynn Banks, the restaurant's manager, has worked there for 29 years. She said in that time she's frequently felt the sensation of being watched. "I've seen shadows go by, and you go look and nobody’s there besides you," said Banks. "We’ve had customers that have made comments, especially about the women’s bathroom. They’ll be in one stall then they’ll hear the other one open and close, and they’ll see a shadow or something, but nobody else is in there.” Because of …

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Frank Medina

4:41 pm on Friday, October 28, 2011

This is an amazing love story!   more ›

Haunted Haunts

Spirits Haunt Cuba Road, White Cemetery?

Patch takes a look at stories about paranormal activity taking place along Cuba Road near White Cemetery in Barrington.

Have you ever driven down Cuba Road in Barrington and thought you saw something out of the ordinary? Even ghostlike? You aren’t alone. Dozens of people have claimed to see ghosts and other paranormal activity along Cuba Road, specifically around White Cemetery. The so-called haunted cemetery dates back to the 1800s, and its past is teeming with spooky legends. Chicagoland ghost researcher Dale Kaczmarek explains the paranormal activity associated with this spot. “There are a lot of old local legends associated with the cemetery, first of all, including one that was actually started in the 1960s by a Palatine school teacher of a hooked spirit, a man with a hook, that’s been seen out here. It’s an urban legend, it’s nothing more than an …

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Blagojevich Jury Forewoman Sheds Light on Decision-Making Process

Connie Wilson, who led the jury that found Rod Blagojevich guilty of 17 counts of federal corruption, said the jury relied heavily on timelines and photo boards and re-listened to every second of FBI tape before coming to a decision.

Connie Wilson recalls Rod Blagojevich playing on her love for music while she sat on the jury that ultimately found the former governor guilty of 17 of 20 federal corruption charges in June. Wilson said the former Illinois governor did the same for the librarian on the jury. And the Red Sox fan. And so on. Blagojevich, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors, was trying to connect to them on a personal level. It may have been the biggest reason that 11 out of 12 jurors were women—it was believed that they would have been more compassionate towards a father and family man, Wilson said. Those details and more were shared with a group of area residents Monday as Wilson discussed her experiences while on the Blagojevich retrial jury at the …

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Mom's Eye View

Loving the Lull

The down time between summer sports and the start of school is like a gift.

We’re in one of my favorite times of year. It’s the lull before school and the next round of activities and sports. Through winter, spring and summer, our lives are a blur of practices and games. Basketball, soccer and baseball overlap, keeping us hopping more than usual for a few weeks in each season. But for the month of August until school starts, for us and for many other families, there is a blissful span of time we can fill however we choose. For me, it feels like I’ve finally gotten out of school for the summer. I can breathe.   There’s a certain freedom, a luxury, to have time on my hands. We can go on vacation or stay home. Sleep in. Or wake up early. We can be busy. Or not.  It’s a time to recharge or to get charged up. Some …

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