OK, that would give oxygen. But air pressure would still be a matter of concern: I dont' know how they could raise that. The oxygen molecule we breath is a diatomic one (O^2) and carbon dioxide is CO^2, which is heavier. The air pressure would thus actually lessen, which would not be good. So somehow the atmosphere would have to be made way thicker.

Now, there is another lil physical fact about Mars which would just throw a big ol monkey wrench into the works: it's tectonically dead. There was once a time that it was active; there are old volcanoes on Mars which prove this. Olympus Mons on Mars is the largest volcano in the solar system. But the planet has turned off its tectonic activity. Also it is very probable that it has a solid core, unlike the earth which has a solid inner and a molten outer core. Which is something we know due to one more thing earth has that Mars doesn't: a magnetic field.

This magnetic field we have protects us from the solar wind. Mars has no such protection. The solar wind probably eroded what atmosphere it had long ago, and would do so again. So in order to truly make Mars into a living planet (like it may have briefly been at some time in the past) we would have to increase not merely the oxygen in its atmosphere, but the thickness of that atmosphere. We would have to then generate a magnetic field around it so it would not lose that atmosphere but would protect the surface from the sun's wicked solar wind. And the only way to feasibly induce a planet-wide magnetic field would be to turn on the tectonic activity again.

That, or we'll have to live on Mars, without actually going outside...

While yes, there is not a sufficiat atmosphere to hold the oxegyn we would need to create, and all that, there are a few scientist out there sporting thereos(and very good thereos at that)
that say that the reason the earth has the atmosphere it does, and the reason it is so ideal for life to live on, is because of the fact that life DOES live on it.

its believed that just the pressence of life provides the needed structures.

Basicly, a long time ago, before anything lived, the earth was a molten rock, it had no atmosphere, and was covered completly in CO^2... Now, somewhere along the lines, it started to cool down on the surfice, but not by much. Then for some odd reason, it rained, and it rained A LOT, and no, im not referign to the noahs arc thing, this is actauly a belief among scientists...

Anyway, the molten planet called earth cooled down on the surfice, and was flooded with water... Soon little underwater plant life thingies were popping up due to excess materials that were being combined over time.

Plants were formed first, all by there lonesomes, and as there was tons and tons of CO^2, they didnt need life forms to rebreath the oxegen they were puting out...

So slowly, the CO^2 was being changed to oxygen, and then somewhere alogn the lines, tid pools formed(cant remember if this is before, or after the plants were forming in the oceans)

Anyway, in the tid pools, lipids dried out during low tide, and after a time, formed into cells, providing us with a bit more life on the planet... and after A LONG LONG LONG TIME, an atmosphere started to grow, do to the combinations of gases being mixed and such, before finaly, animal organisms could pop up to conterpart the plants... and with those animal organisms, came more fuel for the pot, adding more stability to the planet...

Ok, anyway, now that youve heard that theory(and im not saying its necessarily correct, but some do believe this, and are working to figure it out, it does make sense though)

So, with that, You might see, that somehow, if we can find a way to "reignite" mars core, and flood the planet, life could begin forming on the planet once more. yes, it would take time, but with advances in technology, we'd be able to do this eventauly, and maybe speed up the process by adding underwater planetlife to the planet(did you all know most of our oxygen comes from the ocean? i just learned that recently)

anyway, ya, it is Possible... Perhaps not overtly possible, but it can happen...*smiles* and people say i dont pay attention in Marin bio

I donno, i was bored, not neccesarily saying i agree with any of these idea's, but i felt it was my duty to put another spin into the fray...

hehehe, if you all didnt figure it out, i watched a 45 minut long documentary about this today... some dude proved that dried out lipids can form into DNA, and then into cells, pretty cool stuff

Im gonna go take me some fat, and make me a girlfriend LOL HAHAHAHAHA <-----Humor, is not really gonna try and do that, and does not honestly believe he could, even if he wanted to.

Any way, peace... And as a heads up, im sure i have flawed somewhere, so graysith, make sure and correct me where im wrong

Although, it was flawed, and ultimately killed the planet...

Anyway, yes, that's how we got our oxygen, took millions of years... and the water they think came from volcanic outgassing and maybe was carried here by comets.

The big problem, though, as I said is not merely the low air pressure on Mars but it's lack of a magnetic field. Well... it does have a very weak one, but not enough to protect life from the solar wind bombardment. Granted, Mars is farther from the Sun, but would still be subjected to solar wind and the extremely dangerous solar flares which the Sun erupts during times of high activity. These things are killers, guys; in fact, they pose extreme danger to our astronauts. It is radiation poisoning, after all.

On this note, the astronauts in the shuttle and ISS and so on are deep enough within our magnetic field to be protected from "normal" solar wind velocities. But when those flares erupt which makes me so happy down here on earth -- means aurora watch!!! -- they have to skedaddle to the most shielded portion of the shuttle or ISS and lay low until the storm passes.