As the Third Millennium Dawns, There Are Reasons Both for Optimistic

As the third millennium dawns, there are reasons both for optimistic and pessimistic outlook. An optimist might argue all of the following except:

A) The decline of explosive population growth in Asia and Africa
B) The passage of fifty years without a major global conflict and the end of the Cold War
C) The still increasing human life span
D) The continued increase in the overall standard of living