Why doen't the US begin using coal to produce oil? South Africa has been doing do for years!?

I didn't even take the time to read your entire "question", but, my answer is = Coal costs a lot to process, and creates more pollution. Have you noticed that the skies in China are brown??? That is pollution. When they are having the Olympic games, the residents will have days they will not be able to drive, and the government has halted some companies from producing their products, just so there won't be brown skies for the Olympics. I find that fact very interesting.