I'll probably get modded down for saying this, but before everyone jumps on the proverbial bandwagon and starts endorsing this idea, don't forget about the ecological issues involved. As we all know, short-sighted developers looking for cheap power have ravaged the Earth's ecosystem in so many ways; from spreading CFCs to burning precious fossil fuels.

True, the moon doesn't have life on it, like the Earth does. But it's still a unique environment, one unlike any other in the universe. (How many other planets can you think of with a single, large moon?) If we charge right onto the moon and try to exploit it, we could damage it as severely as we have the Earth. We never know what we might want to use the moon for in the future -- and disturbing its natural balance might ruin future plans.

Now, this might seem like just another "gloom and doom" prediction. But given all the talk of terraforming in other planets we've heard lately (putting trees on Mars, water on Europa, etc.), it's not too early to start thinking about the repercussions of these plans. Just like in Star Trek, shouldn't our goal be to seek out and explore (and adapt to) strange new worlds instead of pillaging them and warping them to suit our whims?