TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal is nickel, cobalt, copper, silver, iridium, gold, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium or platinum (preferred). The metal is in metallic form. The housing contains a platinum-containing catalyst. The housing additionally contains a water gas shift catalyst located downstream of the platinum-containing catalyst.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The reaction between the peroxide and (I) produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ethane and oxygen. The reaction comprises at least one of 37 reactions e.g. reacting one mole of ethanol, one mole of hydrogen peroxide and one mole of water to give five moles of hydrogen and two moles of carbon dioxide; reacting one mole of ethanol and three moles of hydrogen peroxide to give two moles of carbon dioxide, three moles of water and three moles of hydrogen; reacting one mole of ethanol, two moles of hydrogen peroxide to give two moles of carbon dioxide, two moles of hydrogen peroxide and three moles of water; reacting one mole of ethanol and one mole of hydrogen peroxide to give one mole of water, two moles of carbon monoxide and three moles of hydrogen; and reacting one mole of formic acid and one mole of hydrogen peroxide to give two mole of water and one mole carbon dioxide. The initiation is carried out without heating the reactants. The initiation is carried out at less than 200degreesC, preferably about or less than room temperature. The reaction is continued after the initiation. The reaction is a reforming reaction and produces a product stream comprising carbon dioxide, hydrogen and optionally carbon monoxide or the reaction produces a product stream comprising steam and carbon dioxide as the main products with at least one of carbon monoxide, oxygen, hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide produced is converted into carbon dioxide by contacting the product stream with a water gas shift catalysts in the presence of water. The reaction is carried out in a fuel cell, to power a rocket, to inflate an air bag, to pressurize mechanical equipment or for the quick start up of a catalytic exhaust gas converter or nitrogen oxides (NOx) purifier. Preferred Components: The catalyst contains one or more catalyst precursors. The hydrogen peroxide is in the form of an aqueous solution comprises hydrogen peroxide (at least 20 vol.% (preferably 70 wt.%)). The alcohol solution/urea pellets comprises hydrogen peroxide (at least 6 vol.%). The ratio of hydrogen peroxide to atomic carbon in (I) is 0.5:1-4:1, preferably 1:1-3.1. The ratio of any water present to atomic carbon in (I) is 0:1-1.5:1, preferably 0:1-1:1. (I) is 2-6C alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid or 1-6C ether, preferably ethanol, sugar, starch, cellulose, flour and/or gum. The sugar is glucose, sucrose, fructose or maltose. (I) is ethanol and the ratio of any water present to atomic carbon in the ethanol is 0:1-1:1, preferably 0:1-0.5:1. (I) is acetic acid/formic acid and the ratio of any water present to atomic carbon in the ethanol is from 0:1 to 1.5:1, preferably from 0:1 to 0.5:1. The apparatus further comprises a fuel cell downstream of the housing and means for transferring any hydrogen produced in the housing to the fuel cell. EXAMPLE - Formic acid and hydrogen peroxide mixture was pumped to platinum/sodium oxide/zirconium oxide (0.1 g), formic acid/hydrogen peroxide/water (1:0.6:0.4) at 0.2 ml/minute. Hydrogen gas was produced instantly and the temperature of the catalyst bed was increased to 150-250degreesC, maintained in this range without external heating to give the product having water, hydrogen (99.8%), carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.