Greenhouse Effect: Is it Getting Warmer? By definition, the greenhouse effect is a term for the role the atmosphere plays in insulating and warming the earth's surface. In modern society, this is the term for something better known as global warming. The earth’s climate is predicted to change drastically in the next century due to human activity. As the population of the world increases, so does the anount of greenhouse gasses produced. These include mainly carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), an