Many students of climate change argue that, although the artificial release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide works to raise the global temperature, particulate pollution should, by promoting cloud cover and thus reflecting solar energy back into space, have a compensating cooling effect.

ECONOMIST: Weather and pollution

"I think this assistance is too generous, it gives too much money, it goes far beyond compensating the airlines for those three days that government edict was in effect and the question I have is clearly we are compensating them for far more, " said Fitzgerald, who like some other Republicans, openly worried that the bill was being passed too fast.

CNN: Congress approves $15 billion airline bailout