Which of the following would not be considered a remote cause of world war i?

I'll provide you with a general summary to help you understand World War 1. 

Basically, the ultimate cause of World War 1 was nationalism and a ton of militarism mixed with other characteristics that drove countries to think they were superior over all other races. Specifically Germany and Russia in this case. 
So after this wave of immense pride, there's something that sparks the fire to the war but not necessarily a direct cause. This would be the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Shortly after that, the war began and most countries were dragged into the war (included the Ottoman Empire and US later on). 

So we have two answers down: 
C and B are causes of World War 1. 

Technically... resources are always needed around the world. But remember - the type of natural resources we need now arent like the ones they needed back then. Oil wasnt a big thing. Why? Because Cars weren't that important. 

So, TECHNICALLY, it would be 
A) competition of sovereign states

I really do hope this helps. Comment if you need any more assistance. I'd be glad to assist. :)