Re: Moon for science, Mars for colonies...
"...the problem with the Moon is that any major action there will spoil the hard vacuum and much of its usefulness."
How is the Moon useful, if you don't use it?
It would take "alot" of use to get an atmosphere on the Moon equal to the atmosphere which ISS flys through- if it gets that bad, then through the use of the Moon we would mostly like have enough capablity to launch something into lunar orbit- or find an even better place for extreme vacuum- go closer to Sun (Mercury) or further away (somewhere around Saturn distance) depending on the need.
Also the cold craters in Lunar poles will condense some of this excess atmosphere- recycling, it's the way of the future:)