NB., a fun experiment: explain a smoker that the cigarette contains proverbial half of the Mendeleyev table.
In any case, the theoretical content of fissible elements in coal may be significant, but it doesn't seem to be economical to extract it at this point. We have heaps of uranium ore, and nuclear fusion seems to be around the corner.
Less snarkily, is there actually good reason to believe that we're any closer to usable fusion?
Several governments bet big (well, perhaps medium) money on race to the Moon, to extract helium-3 [3] from water ice in there. A key component to commercial nuclear fusion -- and with only small-time other uses in medicine and stuff.
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Hence, the biggest non point I've ever seen in my life. Unless coal is actually radioactive to a noteworthy significantly-more-than-a-banana extent, which I probably would have heard of by now (not that I haven't been wrong before).
Here is an example of someone else making the same point:
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.ht...
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[1] http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/products/electronic-cig...
Your body has trace amounts of uranium as well. What's everyone so worried about?! Obviously the substance is perfectly safe.
And no, that's not a joke; it's a convenient measure of low radiation levels. Bananas are more naturally radioactive due to high potassium contents.
You could've worked in something about potassium content of bananas while you were at it.