On Earth, the new world environment is very similar to the old world environment which is why there are so many invasive species. You can't release pigs and horses on the moon and expect them to survive. The industrial revolution occurred more than a century after much of the new world was colonized.

Not launching from the moon is cheaper than launching from the moon. In the early days of resource extraction, it may be better to use those resources on the moon instead of launching them. LG wouldn't be useful until we have more resources than we need on the moon.