The recent natural disaster that occurred in Japan is a tragedy for its people and ought to be treated that way. Attempts to politicize the events as any type of justifiable, Armageddon-type indication should not be condoned, as the focus in the aftermath should be on helping Japan and its population regain its footing.

No country is deserving of natural disasters, and Japan is no exception. Remarks that claim that Japan deserved this tragedy, or that its people should be dealing with the issues themselves, are unacceptable and inhumane.

That being said, one of the issues that have arisen is that of nuclear power plants. Anti-nuclear power proponents have pointed to what has happened to certain plants in Japan as indications for eliminating nuclear power.

Damage to several nuclear reactors in the area have led to fears of nuclear exposure, as well as a loss of power. As of Monday, three reactors in a particular plant have been unable to cool down, and another two reactors had their containment buildings destroyed. An additional reactor had its fuel rods fully exposed briefly as well. Currently, if the reactors’ containers continue to overheat, there is the possibility of a meltdown, and consequently, a release of radioactive material.

Additionally, explosions that occurred on Saturday and Monday led to criticism about the nuclear energy industry. Government officials have ordered evacuation when necessary, and according to Murray Jennex, a nuclear expert at San Diego State University, “Everything I’ve seen says that the containment structure is operating as it’s designed to operate. It’s keeping the radiation in and it’s holding everything in, which is the good news.”

Nonetheless, 11 of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors, which together accounts for 30 percent of Japan’s electricity, have been shut down. This has led to other countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, to reconsider their own usage of nuclear power.

Nuclear energy, regardless of one’s position on its viability and safety, already exists. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers or wringing hands, but rather to seriously assess the safety standards of nuclear energy. It appears that Japanese officials were careful in preparing their plants for natural disasters and took the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their people. The issue at hand, then, should be for the United States and other countries around the world to check on the status of their own nuclear power plants, making sure that if they are ever faced with a similar situation, that they can properly deal with the aftermath.