The presumption that terraforming is merely the formulizing of chemistry and biology appropriately would be more convincing if it was actually achieved on Earth first. As far as I know, all "sustainability" so far is merely passing of the buck.<p>Still, even presuming "moon soil" can be made fertile with microbiological and chemical amendments from the Earth, who's to say whatever inert resource which may exist in it is capable of sustaining a self sufficient system once seeded? Perhaps all terraforming will ever be is the opportunity to neurotically dump a stream of the Earth's resources down a bottomless pit?